Victims of love
by shiverdreams
Summary: "You fell for your roommate. Happens all the time. Kinda cliché."  NaruSasu story
1. Chapter 1

Victims of love

Chapter 1

Inspiration simply wouldn't come, he was too worried. He pushed his chair away from the desk and his laptop, and he stretched his lean upper body. He let out a sigh as he looked at the door through long raven bangs. If only his roommate could come home…

It was 5 am now. How long could he hang out after the bar had closed anyway? Why wouldn't he just come home already?

He sighed once more and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He felt dehydrated, and sick. He often felt sick recently. His roommate kept telling him that it was because he didn't eat enough food, and that he was too skinny. The thought made his lips twitch into a smile. Maybe his roommate wasn't so wrong. But he was a model, and he had a really strict diet. In the industry, looks were all that mattered. And he couldn't afford to lose his job.

He jumped out of his skin when he heard the door open. He had almost been resigned that his roommate wouldn't come home tonight. But now here he was. And of course, he was practically passed out drunk.

"Sasuke! It was so much fun tonight!" he exclaimed while slipping off his shoes clumsily, and almost falling in the process. "Sasuke?"

"What?" the raven replied, annoyed.

"You should've been there! Why don't you ever wanna go out?"

He stumbled his way towards his bedroom without waiting for an answer. Sasuke followed him from a distance, just to make sure he was okay.

He watched as his roommate just… passed out on his bed. He sighed.

Putting down his glass of water, he walked up to the bed. Ah… Naruto, he thought, he would never change it seemed. He helped him out of his black leather jacket at least. He had bought him this jacket for his birthday, a month ago. He never had any money, so Sasuke had decided to spoil him a little.

He pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. His dark eyes lingered on Naruto's sleeping form. Without really thinking about what he was doing, he reached out with his hand to caress his hair. Then he withdrew his hand quickly, and walked away from the room. Instead he returned to the living room; he felt inspired again.

He was writing this story – a love story – because he wanted to prove to himself and to the world that there was more to him than symmetrical traits and a skinny and tall body. In other words he wanted to prove that there was more to him than just a model. He had always loved writing, and he was trying to create a beautiful story. It was strange, because he hated romance in real life, and everything that had to do with it, and yet he was writing this story.

Sasuke went to bed really late that night. He figured, since he didn't work the next day, he could sleep in.

Well, it didn't exactly work out that way.

He was woken up at 9 am by Naruto.

"Fuck my life…" he was mumbling. "Fucking hate… hangovers…"

This statement was followed by sounds of throwing up. At least they were coming from the bathroom, which was a good thing. Sasuke quickly put on some boxers, and he went to join his roommate in the bathroom.

"You drank too much again," he said.

"No shit," Naruto replied.

He threw up again, and Sasuke frowned. He hated seeing him like this, and unfortunately it happened way too often.

"Was it worth it at least?" he asked.

The blond got up trembling, and leaned on the sink, where he rinsed his mouth. When he was done he looked up at Sasuke with tired blue eyes.

"Yeah, I met this really cool girl…"

"What about Sakura?" he frowned.

"We broke up…"

He fell to his knees and threw up again. He was trembling, and he looked like he was in a lot of pain. Sasuke wanted to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and to place his bangs behind his ears, but he didn't. It would have been too awkward, he supposed. Naruto wouldn't want him to do such a thing.

Instead he asked, "When?"

"Before going out," Naruto explained in a weak, rasp voice, "it… wasn't working."

"Oh…"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"I didn't ask anything," Sasuke pointed out.

"You were going to."

Sasuke didn't deny it. But it wasn't his fault if he was curious. Naruto had spent practically his entire life having a huge crush on this one girl, Sakura. And finally, they were dating, so why the sudden break up? He supposed Naruto would end up telling him about it anyway.

"You should drink some water," he suggested, "or you'll be dehydrated."

"Thanks mom but I think I'll be fine," he replied, glaring at him, "I've had hangovers before, you know?"

"Uh yeah, I know, we've been living together for two years now, remember?"

"Unfortunately…"

"If you don't like it, you can just leave."

"Maybe I will," Naruto replied.

Sasuke's heart sank. He hated having arguments with him. Unfortunately it happened all the time. As usual he didn't let his emotions break through, and he kept a blank expression.

"Good luck finding someone other than me who'll pay for your rent and expenses when you keep losing your jobs," he said coldly.

"Fuck you," he whispered.

He had said it in such a low voice, but Sasuke still heard it. And it hurt.

"Whatever. Hurry up, I need to take a shower."

"Just take it while I'm here."

Sasuke hesitated.

"I'll be in here for a little while. Just go ahead who cares? We're both guys. It's not like I'm gonna look at your skinny ass. Honestly, even if I were into guys, you wouldn't be my type."

"Imagine my despair," he said sarcastically.

Why was Naruto so fucking mean all of a sudden? Maybe the break up with Sakura had been really rough…

Sasuke took a shower, and as promised, Naruto didn't look. If he did, Sasuke didn't notice.

The rest of the morning was spent writing for Sasuke, and being sick for Naruto. Sasuke was trying really hard to concentrate on his story. He was writing a crucial part – when the main character, which was truly a demon, was unable to kill a certain young man because he had become infatuated with him.

But Naruto was still in the bathroom, and Sasuke was worried. So he got up and walked the few steps that separated the living room from the bathroom. He pushed the door open softly, and he frowned at the scene before him.

Naruto had taken off his clothes – maybe they had felt too uncomfortable after sleeping in them – except for his boxers and he was curled up in a ball on the floor.

"Naruto," Sasuke said softly.

"Hmm…" was his muffled reply.

"Come on just get up."

"Why do you care?"

"Just get up!" he exclaimed, annoyed.

He opened his eyes. There were tears in them and he still looked like he was in a lot of pain. What an idiot for drinking so much all the time…

"Answer me why do you care?"

"Because I need to use the bathroom but you're in the way now get up."

"Do you think I'm a hopeless immature idiot with no future?"

He sighed, "What's up with you all of a sudden?"

Naruto sat up painfully and leaned against the bath tub.

"Sakura's in med school. So is Ino. Kiba's gonna be a veterinarian. Hinata and Neji are already working for their family's business. Gaara's a lawyer. Sai's a freakin' action movie star," he chuckled, "and you… you're some kind of superstar model…"

"I'm not," Sasuke replied.

"Yes you are," he chuckled bitterly as he locked eyes with him. A tear fell down from his eye. "I saw you in a magazine the other day, for some… men's perfume commercial – I can't remember the name for the life of me. You looked hot. Well you looked kinda like a girl. But Sai told me androgynous is the new trend."

"Why don't you shut up and go to bed?"

But Naruto went on, "When people ask me what I do, I'm like, well, I'm unemployed. And even if I do have a job it's like... cashier. And then it's awkward… Well, when girls are drunk enough they don't give a shit," he chuckled.

"Like the girl from last night?"

As the words escaped his lips Sasuke felt like hitting himself in the face. Great, now he was letting his jealousy through…

"She was hot," Naruto shrugged, "but she was so fucking dumb it kind of turned me off. And I was still thinking about Sakura…"

"Well considering you guys broke up right before you went to the club it's probably normal," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You know, it was already awkward enough with Hinata and Ino, and now it's gonna be awkward with Sakura, too."

"Guess that's what you get for fucking every girl in the gang," Sasuke replied.

"Shut up," Naruto said, "I really wanted it to work, every time."

"Which is why you broke up with all of them?"

Naruto glared at him, "I told you, it wasn't working. Hinata…"

"Was too shy, you've only told me a hundred times…" Sasuke sighed as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"We were way too different. And Ino… Ino fucking cheated on me with Kiba! Was I supposed to forgive her?"

"Guess not."

"And Sakura…" he frowned, and some more tears rolled down his cheeks. "Sakura still thinks I'm a loser, I mean she didn't say it like that, but..."

Sasuke frowned as well. He wished he could just lean closer and wipe his tears away. He wanted to just help him up and hold him tight. But of course he did none of that.

"You're not a loser."

"Yes I am," Naruto smiled sadly. "All I'm good at is getting drunk…"

"That's not your fault. That's because you've been raised by those two alcoholic idiots."

"Tsunade and Jiraiya are not alcoholic idiots," Naruto replied.

"They kinda are," the raven insisted.

"… Maybe you're right," Naruto made a little smile.

It made Sasuke happy to see him smile at last. He felt a bit nervous, but he decided to reach out to him anyway, to grab his arm and help him up. Naruto let him help, but then he pulled away and walked towards his bedroom. Sasuke could still feel the tingling sensation on the skin of his hand, where he had touched Naruto's arm.

"How's the novel coming along?" the blond asked as he let himself fall on his mattress.

"It's not a novel, it's just a crappy story," Sasuke answered.

"Are the demon guy and human girl together yet?"

"I never said it was a girl…"

Sasuke's heart started beating really fast. Why the hell had he said that? As he stood in Naruto's doorway, he looked up and risked a glance at him. As expected, he was staring at him.

"So it's a gay story?"

"I didn't say that either."

"You're weird, you know that?"

"Whatever…"

"Can I read it?"

"When it's finished, maybe, if I decide it's good enough."

"Maybe you should let me decide," Naruto argued.

"What do you know about literature?"

"That's right, nothing, I'm just a fucking hopeless loser with no future," he snapped and turned around, his back now facing the door, and Sasuke.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Will you just leave me the fuck alone?"

Sasuke closed the door, and then he leaned on it and closed his eyes. His throat felt constricted, and he felt like he was suffocating. His affection for Naruto was killing him… he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to go on like this.

…

That night Sasuke found himself in a gay club. He came here sometimes, but he didn't really know what he was looking for. He drank, but not to the extent that he would be hangover like Naruto always was after going out. He just had a few drinks, and then went home. Once in a while he met a guy and had sex. He supposed maybe he just needed to clear his head. Living with Naruto had become a nightmare.

At first it had been just a slight attraction to his best friend. He had been so sure that it would go away. But as they lived together, it had only become worst. At this point, he was positive he was falling in love with him, and the feelings just wouldn't go away.

"Can I have another one please?" he asked the barman.

"Sure! It's on the house."

"It's okay, I can pay…"

"No, no, no! I insist," the guy gave a flirtatious smile.

He wasn't bad looking. He was tall, and he was lean but muscular. Actually his body reminded him of Naruto. His smile too. But maybe he was just getting a little bit too drunk.

"So what's up? How come a hot guy like you is hanging out here alone and looking all depressed?"

"I don't mean to be rude, but mind your own fucking business," Sasuke replied in a calm, low voice.

It usually pushed people away.

Apparently not this guy.

"Bad break up?" he asked.

"No, I don't do relationships."

"Oh, you're one of those," he smiled, "so what is it then? Family problems?"

"My family's dead."

Finally, the guy lost his smile. As for Sasuke, he actually felt like smiling. It wasn't that he liked making people feel bad, but he just wasn't in the mood for conversation, and it seemed he had successfully ended this one. His colleague called him for help with the customers, so the young barman finally left Sasuke alone.

A few minutes later, just as Sasuke was about to go home, he offered him another drink.

"I don't want it," he said.

"It's my treat," the barman replied, "to apologize for intruding earlier. I don't usually do that."

Sasuke decided to accept the drink. One more wouldn't hurt, he thought. And the guy really wasn't bad looking. He had violet eyes and silvery blond hair. It was a really unique look.

"Why'd you do it then?"

He shrugged, "Guess you intrigue me."

"Why?" Sasuke raised a fine black eyebrow.

He smiled, "Guess I'm a sucker for skinny emos like yourself."

"Emo?" Sasuke chuckled.

"Well you gotta admit… your skin's pale, your hair's black and long, you've got piercings, and black tight clothes… It's all there."

"Guess I should ask for my membership card."

"You'd definitely get it. But it was a compliment, by the way. I like your style."

Sasuke shrugged. He wasn't really doing it on purpose. He just liked tighter and darker clothes better. Also, he liked body piercings, and some clients were looking for that in models these days. He had a few ear piercings, as well as an eyebrow and lip piercing.

After that the club was closing up, so Sasuke finished his drink and put on his thin black jacket.

"Hey, wait!"

He turned around. Of course, it was the barman again.

"You look like you could use a couple more drinks. Wanna wait for me?"

Sasuke didn't answer. But he sent him a long glance before heading out. He did wait for him. He leaned against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets, shivering in the cold. This was one of those moments when he wished he had a cigarette. But he had quit two years ago. Naruto had made him quit before they had moved in together.

The guy's smile made it all worth it when he walked out of the club a few minutes later. He really had a beautiful smile, and it reminded Sasuke so much of Naruto. That guy had the same longer canines than normal, this little thing that Sasuke found so cute about Naruto's smile.

"What's your name?" he asked as he stepped in front of the raven.

Sasuke shook his head, "No names. No kiss. We go to your place, you fuck me, with a condom, then I go home. It's that or nothing."

The guy chuckled, "Good enough for me. Come on."

They walked together for a few minutes. The guy's place was just a few blocks away. At some point Sasuke shivered from the cold again and the other put his arm around his shoulders. But Sasuke pushed him away firmly.

"What I can't do that either?"

Sasuke didn't answer, but he figured the answer was clear enough.

At the apartment he offered him a drink, but Sasuke declined. It was a small apartment, with only two rooms, the kitchen and the living room. There was a comfortable enough sofa bed at least. Sasuke directly went to lie down on it.

The young man drank his cocktail slowly as he checked him out, his eyes going from his feet to his head, and lingering a little longer on his ass.

"You're so hot."

"If you like anorexic…" Sasuke started, thinking about what Naruto always told him.

He shook his head, "You're not anorexic. I can tell the difference. You could be a model for sure though."

"Lucky guess."

"What?" he frowned and tilted his head to the side.

"I actually am a model."

"Oh," he chuckled, "well it wasn't that hard to guess. You're so beautiful…"

He finished his drink and came to join Sasuke on the sofa bed. He took off his shirt, and Sasuke admired his defined muscles. Just like Naruto. But this guy's skin was paler. He wished he could stop comparing every little detail to his best friend and roommate… But he couldn't help it. It was always like this. Whenever he followed someone home after going out, it was always because they reminded him at least a little of Naruto.

After undressing himself completely the guy proceeded to help Sasuke out of his clothes. The latter let him, feeling submissive and docile. He wanted this really badly, but he didn't want to prolong it. It wasn't making love to him, it was just sex. And the sooner it was over with, the better.

The silver-haired guy had different opinions though. When Sasuke tried to turn face down, he stopped him. He applied slight pressure on his shoulders, so that he stayed on his back.

He smiled, and leaned closer to kiss his neck.

"Stop it…" Sasuke said, but his voice was really weak.

"Your body says otherwise…"

He looked up briefly to smile at him, and then he kissed his nipples. When he bit one slightly Sasuke let out a moan despite himself.

"You're so cute," the guy whispered.

He brought his hand to his stomach, and traced his fingers on his flawless skin, all the way to his now erect member.

"Stop it…" Sasuke protested again.

"But you want it, I can see it in your eyes…"

"No… just fuck me, please."

"…All right."

Sasuke turned so that he was lying down on his stomach, and this time the guy didn't try to stop him. Instead he reached in the closest drawer to take out a condom. He quickly put it on, but first he reached for his entrance with his fingers.

"Do you need me to…?"

"No," Sasuke quickly said, "don't…"

It had been a while, and it would hurt, but he didn't care. He liked the pain…

"All right," the guy said again.

As he started moving inside of him his breathing grew faster and louder.

"You're… tight…"

Sasuke's breathing also picked up. He closed his eyes and clutched the sheets in his hands. The mix of pain and pleasure was overwhelming. With each thrust he was repressing loud moans.

"You're so cute," the guy whispered.

He slid his arm around Sasuke's tiny waist and leaned closer to place kisses on his back. With a few more thrusts they both came, and slowly the silver-haired guy pulled away from him.

Sasuke waited a few moments, and then he got up slowly.

"Can I use your bathroom?"

"Of course baby."

He rolled his eyes at the endearment but he didn't comment. Instead he went to the bathroom and cleaned himself briefly. He just wanted to hurry up and put his clothes back on and take his leave.

The silver-haired guy was looking at him with disappointment written all over his face.

"You sure you don't want to sleep over?"

"I don't do sleep overs."

"I make really good pancakes."

Sasuke chuckled, "Save it. It's not gonna work."

"Why are you like this?"

"Like what?"

"The whole, I don't do relationships, I don't do sleepovers thing?"

"No reason."

He had finished gotten dressed, and he walked up to the door.

"There's always a reason," he insisted.

"Thanks for… this. I'll see you around then."

He nodded, "I hope so. Take care of yourself."

When Sasuke got home that night, it was really late, and yet, Naruto still wasn't there. It was always like this. Whenever Sasuke went out, Naruto never noticed because he was out himself and only came home after him.

Sasuke had time to take a shower, change into comfy and clean clothes, and write a few paragraphs of his story, when Naruto finally came home. He wasn't nearly as drunk as the night before – thank God – but he did look very tired.

"Where were you?" Sasuke asked.

"Out…"

"You know, you're never gonna find a new job if you sleep during the day and go out at night."

"I brought my résumé to a couple places the other day," he said defensively, "they just haven't called me back yet."

"I don't have that many contracts this month," Sasuke said, "I won't be able to pay for the both of us forever…"

"I know! Stop trying to make me feel bad!"

"That wasn't my intention," the raven replied calmly.

"Well it's working anyway. I'll just get a fucking crappy fast food job again…"

"Who's trying to make the other feel bad now?"

"…Shut up."

Naruto walked passed him quickly and locked himself up in the bathroom. Sasuke sighed and shut down his computer. He felt too tired to continue anyway. He had a photo shoot the next day. All he could think of was, thank God for makeup…

He went to the kitchen to drink some water. When Naruto walked out of the bathroom, he hesitated, and then came to join him. But instead of drinking water he took out a frozen pizza.

"Seriously?"

"I'm hungry," Naruto glared at him, "it's good to eat when you're hungry sometimes, you should try it."

Sasuke didn't reply. He wanted to ask him why he was still in such a bad mood, but he didn't.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and walked away. Now he was pushing it… so maybe he was in a bad mood, but he shouldn't take it out on him all the time…

"Wait, Sasuke, I'm sorry…"

He stopped and turned around. Naruto was leaning on the counter and glancing down, looking sad and miserable.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"For what?"

"For being such a jerk. It's just… it's been rough for me these past few weeks. With Tsunade in a house… I feel like I don't visit her often enough, but it's hard seeing her like that, you know? It makes me miss Jiraiya so much… I know he would be there for her if he was… still here, you know? And…"

He looked so sad that Sasuke couldn't help it, he stepped closer to him. He wanted to hold him so badly, but he didn't. Instead he just stood in front of him.

"You know when I dated Ino and Hinata, I already kind of knew that it wouldn't work. But with Sakura I was hoping that… that it would work out. I was… I was ready to spend my life with her, you know? And losing my job, and having you pay for everything, it's though… I feel like I'm such a pathetic loser, and an asshole friend. And whenever I talk about those things to like… Kiba, he doesn't understand. All he talks about is hot girls, pussy, fucking girls, you see my point. And Gaara and Sai… they don't understand anything either. And with Shikamaru gone studying in England, there's just no one…"

Sasuke bit his bottom lip slightly. Naruto was crying again. He was wiping his tears in frustration, clearly embarrassed.

"You can talk to me."

"I know," he made a little sad smile, "I know. You're my best friend, you know that? That's never gonna change. You're the only one I can really count on. Anyone else would have kicked me out a long time ago. I mean I never clean up, I always come home late, and I'm being such a dick for no reason... Seriously, you're the only one who puts up with my shit."

"Don't say that…"

"It's true," he said, wiping his eyes, "but… I promise I'll find a job. This week," he added with determination. "Anyway, you should go to bed you look like shit."

"Look who's talking."

Naruto chuckled, "Yeah but… unlike you I actually need food to live, so I'm gonna stay here and wait for my pizza."

Sasuke let out a light chuckle as well, and he left Naruto alone. Despite his comfortable large bed, and the privacy of his small but cozy bedroom - it was at the opposite end from Naruto's bedroom - he still had a lot of trouble finding sleep that night. His intuition told him that Naruto was the same as him, wide awake even after going to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Whenever Naruto invited Sasuke to go out, he refused. He never wanted to go to clubs or bars. And when Naruto asked him if he wanted to go to the restaurant, for a double date with girls, he always declined. Now there was an opportunity again.

He had found a new job in a grocery store as a cashier. He hated it, but at least he would be able to pay Sasuke back soon enough. And there was a girl flirting with him all the time. Well, this happened a lot. He wasn't exactly modest about his appearance. He used to be picked on as a kid, because of his frail and delicate appearance, but now he had grown tall and muscular. He used to train at the gym all the time but now he didn't have the money anymore - his body still looked pretty good though.

The frail and delicate one was Sasuke now. But most girls still found him very attractive.

He could understand them. There was just something about Sasuke… something dark and mysterious. And of course he was beautiful. Even a straight guy could appreciate that kind of beauty.

Rima, the girl from his new job, had invited him to a fancy restaurant, and since she had a roommate and he had a roommate, they wanted to make it a double date. As Naruto walked back home, he tried to figure out a way to make Sasuke accept for once. The antisocial bastard really needed to go out more, and he needed to meet girls. He was pathetic, really, he was 21 years old and he'd never even had a girlfriend. Hell, for all he knew, Sasuke had never even kissed a girl.

As he walked into their apartment he slipped off his shoes and took off his jacket. He still hadn't come up with a good enough strategy.

Sasuke was sitting at his desk, in front of his computer as always. He had a bowl of salad in front of him. Naruto rolled his eyes. Of course, salad. He had evidently just come back from a photo shoot. His hair was styled like a manga character, with his bangs going in every direction and hiding most of his face, and he had tons of makeup on his face hiding the dark circles he had under his eyes these days. It always made Naruto feel guilty, because he knew it was mostly his fault if Sasuke didn't get enough sleep.

He was probably writing, or watching a movie, or some series. Naruto didn't really know what he liked to watch. Sasuke was so silly sometimes, turning everything into a secret.

Sure enough, when he went to look over his shoulder, Sasuke closed his internet page. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You know, I won't judge you if you're watching porn. Every guy does it."

"I wasn't watching porn."

"Yeah right."

"What do you want? If you need money, I don't have it yet. They don't pay you right away, you know. They need to deal with my agent first..."

"I don't want money! I found a job."

"Really? Where? When?"

"Today. Some small grocery store. They made me start right away."

"Cool."

"Not really," he shrugged and glanced away, "but it's better than nothing. You wanna go out tonight?"

"No."

"To a restaurant, not a club," Naruto informed him.

Sasuke seemed to hesitate. That was rare, he usually refused right away. Maybe if Naruto used the right words, then it would work out.

"Who's gonna be there?"

"Just you and me…"

Sasuke frowned. Clearly he was doubtful.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, trying to sound as casual as possible, "I just want to celebrate. You know, cause I've got a new job. It'll be my treat."

"I won't eat anyway. I'll probably just have a drink. You don't have to pay for me."

"I want to."

Sasuke glanced away. He really was hesitating. Naruto repressed a triumphant smile. If only he could say yes…

"All right… I need to take off this fucking makeup first…"

Now he really couldn't help but smile, "Cool! Take your time. We'll go when you're ready."

Sasuke looked better without the makeup. But Naruto had to admit, his hair looked cute like that. Rima's roommate would surely fall under his charms. Which got him wondering, maybe he should tell Sasuke before going that girls would join them at the restaurant… But then he would change his mind for sure. He decided he would tell him only when they got to the restaurant.

When Sasuke got out of his bedroom Naruto just stood there for a moment. He was surprised. Sasuke looked… kinda really good. He wore black skinny jeans with a white button down shirt and a thin black tie. With his cute hair he looked kinda adorable. For a guy anyway. Naruto smiled.

"Look at you, you're all dressed up. Maybe I should change too," he added thoughtfully.

They were going to a fancy restaurant after all, and he was wearing simple blue jeans and black tee.

"You look good," Sasuke shrugged.

"All right, well let's go!"

Sasuke returned his smile briefly and it made Naruto feel warm inside. He knew his own mood swings reflected on his best friend, and he was glad to be feeling better today, because now Sasuke seemed better, too. And it was mutual; when Sasuke was depressed Naruto felt depressed too. They influenced each other like that all the time.

They started walking outside together.

"This is so cool," Naruto smiled, "I think it's the first time we're going out somewhere together in like a year."

Sasuke glanced at him sideways through his long bangs, "No. Maybe a few months but not a year."

"When was the last time?" Naruto asked, raising a brow.

"…I don't remember."

"My point exactly. It's been longer than you think."

Naruto chuckled and dropped the subject. He ran his fingers through his spiky locks. He always used hair products to make it stick in every direction, because he hated when it fell into his eyes like Sasuke's hair did.

When they got to the restaurant Naruto let out a relieved sigh; the girls weren't here yet. They followed the hostess to a table in the back.

"Sasuke, there's something I need to tell you, uh… Sasuke?"

He was trying to talk to him, but the raven's eyes were fixed on something, or… someone? Naruto followed his gaze. It turned out he was indeed staring at someone intently; their waiter. He had just arrived and he returned Sasuke's stare just as intensely.

"You guys know each other?" Naruto asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah!" the waiter finally spoke, "Yeah sorry I was just surprised I didn't think I'd see you again so soon!"

Sasuke glanced away, looking slightly uncomfortable. Naruto frowned, wondering what was going on.

"You're fucking everywhere or what?" Sasuke muttered, surprising the two others by his rudeness.

The waiter cleared his throat, "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Just water for now," Naruto said.

"Same," Sasuke said, still glancing away.

"All right, and for your information, I only work on Fridays and Saturdays at the bar so I need a second job for the rest of the week. You didn't have to be so mean about it… Anyway, I'll be right back."

When he walked away Naruto stared at Sasuke questioningly.

"What?"

"What do you mean, what? I'm the one who should be asking questions here. What was that all about?"

"None of your business," Sasuke shrugged.

Naruto looked at the waiter again. He was now serving people at another table. He was handsome and strange looking at the same time, with his really pale hair and violet eyes. Naruto was really curious now. Just where had Sasuke met him? At a bar, if he had understood correctly. But Sasuke never went out…

All this had made him forget about the girls. But they arrived a few instants later. There was a brunette and a blonde, the latter was Naruto's new friend from the store. The brunette had long curly hair and a couple piercings and tattoos. She matched the description Rima had given him, and it made Naruto smile, because he found Sasuke and her would make a really cute couple.

"Hey guys!" the blonde exclaimed as they came to sit with them, "this is my roommate Yuki, Yuki this is my new friend from work Naruto."

"Hey!" Yuki exclaimed.

"Hey," Naruto said back, smiling, "and Rima and Yuki this is my roommate Sasuke. He's a model."

"Wow!" they both exclaimed, "that's so cool!"

Sasuke was just sitting there, glaring at Naruto. The latter laughed nervously. The waiter came back with two glasses of water, and asked the girls if he could offer them anything.

"I'll have what Sasuke's having!" Yuki exclaimed, flipping her long, curly brown hair behind her shoulders.

The waiter looked at Sasuke with a mocking smile, and Naruto raised a brow. But Sasuke didn't look amused in the slightest. He suddenly got up and walked out of the restaurant.

"Excuse me just a second," Naruto smiled at the girls nervously.

He ran after Sasuke, and caught his arm as they reached the sidewalk.

"You can't just leave me here!"

"You lied to me," Sasuke said angrily.

"No I didn't," Naruto said.

"You said it would be just the two of us."

"What's the big deal? You should meet some girls once in a while, or you're gonna stay single your whole life."

"Maybe I want to be single. Maybe I don't want to meet girls."

"Oh stop being so antisocial! Seriously it's getting on my nerves! I just wanna help!"

"Yeah well you're not helping."

"Just get back inside okay? Do this for me, please."

"I fucking hate you," Sasuke muttered but he walked passed him, and back inside the restaurant.

They returned to their seats and the girls asked what was wrong.

"Nothing," Naruto reassured them, "we should just order, what do you think?"

"Sure," the blonde girl, Rima, answered with a sweet smile.

Naruto smiled back and she blushed.

When the waiter came back they all placed their orders, except for Sasuke. He insisted that he didn't want anything, not even a drink. Naruto sighed, disappointed by his friend's attitude. It was annoying, really. Couldn't he behave normally for once?

When the silver-haired young man brought them their drinks and plates, he also brought one drink for Sasuke. It was his favourite cocktail, gin and cranberry. Naruto wondered how this person knew about that.

"I didn't order this," the raven said coldly.

"It's on me," the waiter smiled.

Sasuke was sulking, but he ended up drinking it anyway.

Yuki and Rima asked him a few questions about his job, but he didn't answer, so Naruto tried to answer for him. Sasuke glared at him the whole time, and Naruto ended up glaring back. He just wanted to help him have a social life, for Christ's sake! Couldn't he appreciate his effort and behave like a normal twenty one year old guy?

The waiter continued sending intense glances and smiles towards Sasuke whenever he came to ask if everything was good. At some point Yuki moved closer to Sasuke on the seat. Maybe she was feeling possessive already. But this only resulted in the waiter changing his smile for a really mocking one. Sasuke was glancing away, clearly annoyed.

"Okay seriously what's up with this waiter?" Rima asked at some point when he was gone, "Can't he see that you're not gay and he's embarrassing you?"

Sasuke didn't answer her. Instead he finished his cocktail really quickly.

"Let's talk about something else," Yuki said.

They continued talking – Naruto and the girls that is – and when they had finished eating Naruto insisted that he was paying for everyone. The waiter brought him the bill, and as promised he hadn't charged for Sasuke's drink. He also brought another folded piece of paper, which he gave directly to Sasuke.

Once they were outside the girls couldn't stop laughing.

"I can't believe he gave you his phone number!" Rima exclaimed.

"He's so stupid!" Yuki added.

"He really gave you his phone number?" Naruto asked, curious.

Since Sasuke didn't answer, he tried to reach for his pocket to see what was written on the piece of paper. But Sasuke pushed him away.

"Stop it," he snapped.

"I'm curious," he laughed.

"He was so totally gay!" Yuki was laughing, too, "Do you guys think he's a top or a bottom?"

"Top," Sasuke answered, and everyone went quiet.

Naruto and the girls frowned as they looked at him curiously.

"So I guess you really do know him," Rima finally said, "that's cool," she added, trying to sound casual, "I don't have many gay friends."

"Just cause he said that doesn't mean he's gay," Yuki laughed nervously.

"So…" Rima said, "uh… you guys wanna go see a movie or something?"

"Yeah sure," Naruto said, glad for the change of subject.

"No," Sasuke replied, "I'm going home. You do whatever you want," he told Naruto.

Naruto sighed, and smiled apologetically to the girls.

"Sorry…"

"It's okay," Rima said, "another time maybe."

They said good night and walked together towards Rima's car on the other side of the street. As for Sasuke, he had already started walking, not even waiting for Naruto.

Once he had caught up with him, Naruto turned to look at him. A dark and very pissed off aura was emanating from him, but he didn't care.

"Why the hell did you say that?"

"Say what?"

"The… thing about the waiter guy. What's his name anyway?"

"I don't know," Sasuke answered without looking at him.

"You don't know."

"Just leave it."

"Why did you say that?" Naruto insisted.

"Because I hate people who make fun of gays without even knowing what they're talking about."

"They weren't making fun of gays."

"Oh my God he was so totally fucking gay, d'you think he's a top or a bottom?" Sasuke said, using an effeminate voice.

This was so out of character that it actually made Naruto laugh.

"I missed the joke," Sasuke said.

"Just… you trying to imitate a girl's voice."

"Glad I amuse you," he said cynically.

"Oh come on don't be like that! So the double date was a disaster, no big deal! I'll find you a better girl. A smarter, more serious one."

"I don't want you to find me a girl god damn it Naruto just leave me the fuck alone."

"…Fine."

Naruto rolled his eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke was gay sometimes. But it seemed like a touchy subject so he didn't want to just ask it bluntly. Instead he decided to try to bring up the subject in a subtle way.

"Sai and Gaara are gay."

"Why are you telling me that?" Sasuke asked after a moment of silence.

"I was just wondering if you knew. They came out pretty recently. Everyone was shocked."

Sasuke laughed.

"What's so funny?"

He glanced at him, "Seriously, Naruto? Everyone was shocked? About Gaara and Sai being gay?"

"Okay I see your point."

"I don't see yours. Why are you talking about them all of a sudden?"

"Why can't I talk about my friends?"

"It was just really random."

"Well, I guess my point is, they're gay and I don't care, they're still my friends, and it doesn't change anything. So…"

"So what?"

Sasuke was tense. He was trying to hide it but Naruto saw through it. He knew him very well after all.

"So if you are, you can tell me…"

"Naruto if you want to ask me something why don't you just fucking ask it."

"Fine! Well, I was wondering if you were, you know, gay."

"…Yeah."

His eyes were glued to the street in front of them. His hands were clutched into fists and he didn't seem to be feeling so well all of a sudden. Naruto frowned, if it had been anyone else it would make him laugh, but this was Sasuke, and he cared about him. He didn't like seeing him like this.

"Why are you so nervous? I just told you, I don't care."

"I'm not nervous," he said way too quickly.

Naruto chuckled, "Look, you should've told me sooner! I wouldn't have organized stupid double dates with girls if you'd have told me."

"You never asked."

"You should've told me anyway. So… that waiter guy, are you… dating him or…?"

"No."

"Okay."

After a moment of silence Naruto asked, "You met him at a gay bar?"

"Just leave it."

"All right, all right…" he raised his hands in surrender.

They got to the apartment and Sasuke immediately went to sit in front of his computer. Mister Antisocial, Naruto thought. But he didn't give up the subject that easily.

"So are you interested in Sai or Gaara?" he said as he sat in the couch and turned to look at Sasuke.

He glared at him. "They're your friends, not mine. I barely know them."

"Well, what do you want to know? I can answer your questions."

"Just stop talking," Sasuke looked back at his computer.

"Fine. But hey we're all going out next weekend. You should come for once. You could tell them, you know…"

"Oh, fantastic, Naruto you read my mind I was dreaming about this moment. I should write a speech and everything. Maybe I can go on stage and tell the dj to stop the music so I can make a public announcement about my sexual preferences."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You know what I meant. You can tell our friends."

"Your friends," he corrected, "and I'm not going."

"Fine! Stay miserable."

He went to the kitchen to grab a beer. He offered some to Sasuke but he simply glared at him as an answer.

"Right, diet and shit," Naruto nodded, "you know, I really should've figured out by myself that you were gay."

"You should've," Sasuke agreed.

"So do you think I'm hot?" he laughed, "Come on I'm just curious."

"Why don't you go ask Sai or Gaara?"

"I already did. They said they thought I was really hot," he chuckled.

"There you go," Sasuke said, his eyes never leaving his computer screen, "you already know, why do you need to ask me?"

"Just for fun."

"Well I'm not having fun, okay?"

"Sasuke are you… are you nervous?"

He approached him and touched his shoulder. He was trembling slightly.

"Don't touch me," he shoved his hand away, "I'm not nervous. You're just being annoying, I can't even concentrate."

He closed his laptop and unplugged it, and then he brought it to his bedroom and shut the door.

"I'm sorry!" Naruto shouted.

There was no answer. He sighed and went to his bedroom as well. Why was Sasuke reacting like that? It didn't change anything. He had always kind of suspected him to be gay, anyway. He was actually disappointed that Sasuke hadn't trusted him enough to tell him before.

…

On Friday night Naruto was getting ready to go out. Well first he was going to Kiba's place to have some drinks and hang out. He put on his black jeans with a white tank top and a dark blue button down shirt that he left open. He styled his hair spiky as usual, and when he was satisfied he just shoved money, id and cell phone in his pockets, and headed out. Sasuke didn't so much as look at him.

Things were somewhat awkward ever since he knew that he was gay. Naruto didn't want things to be awkward, far from it. It was Sasuke's entire fault, really, for acting that way. It was as if he wanted things to be awkward. He was such a stupid bastard sometimes. When he came back from his photo shoots he was always so tired, and he kept rubbing his neck as if it hurt. Naruto knew that his back hurt sometimes, so he wanted to help him and give him massages. But Sasuke would just shove him away. Also, he really liked his hair, but whenever he felt like touching it or just ruffling it, same thing, Sasuke would push him away roughly.

He wasn't making any sense. If he was gay, then all the more reason for him to like being touched by a guy, even if it was just friendly, he should enjoy it, right? Naruto simply didn't understand his reactions.

He arrived at Kiba's place, hoping he could stop thinking about all of his problems and simply have fun tonight.

"Hey Naruto what's up!" the brunet exclaimed as he opened the door, "Come in!"

"What's up? Nothing much. I got a new job."

"How long are you gonna keep it, that's the question," Kiba laughed.

"Shut up… Maybe a month."

"That's what I thought!"

"Anyway, what about you?" Naruto asked as he took off his jacket.

"Nothing much. Oh, hey, look at you! Man that's why girls like you so much you know how to dress nicely. I couldn't say the same back in high school but hey you've definitely changed. Me, I always wear the same thing," Kiba looked down at his outfit; jeans and beer t-shirt, "but it's okay, when I tell girls I'm an assistant vet they melt right there and start talking about their pet."

"Yeah," Naruto laughed.

They went to the kitchen to get some beers.

"But still, we should go shopping some time, maybe I could get some cool clothes. We could bring Sai and Gaara they'll give us some good advice," he chuckled.

"Yeah… we could bring Sasuke too…"

Well, he had wanted to stop thinking about it. Looked like it was an utter failure on his part.

"What you mean he actually told you that he was gay?"

"Yeah…"

"I fucking knew it!" Kiba laughed, "Ah, man, we're the only straight guys left in the gang."

"What about Neji?"

"He's not really in the gang…"

"Shikamaru?"

"He's in England."

"Yeah…"

Kiba seemed thoughtful for a moment, and he was drinking his first beer pretty fast as usual. Naruto didn't feel like having a hangover again so he decided to take his time.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you be pissed at me if I told you I wanna try to get together with Ino?"

"Why would I be pissed at you?"

"Cause, you know…"

"I already forgave you for that," Naruto reminded him, "and it was ages ago. Besides, when you think about it, she's the one who cheated, right? But to be honest I don't think it could really work between you guys."

"Why?" Kiba frowned.

Naruto shrugged, "Don't take it the wrong way, but you always cheat on your girlfriends. As for Ino, if she was unfaithful with me, she's probably gonna be unfaithful with you too. You guys are just gonna end up cheating on each other."

"You don't know that."

"You're right," he shrugged again, "I don't know. You can give it a try if you want."

"What's up with you? You seem… depressed. And you're kinda being a dick. You're usually like, so happy when we go out."

"It's 'cause of Sasuke…" he sighed, "he's being weird. He's acting all awkward."

"What 'cause he came out to you? I mean, it's not that big of a shock."

"I know, that's what I'm saying!" Naruto exclaimed, and took a few long gulps of a beer even though he had promised himself to take his time. "It shouldn't be awkward!"

"Maybe he… likes you. You know, like, really likes you…" Kiba suggested.

Naruto's blue eyes widened, and he said, "No way, that would be so weird. We know each other so well, we've been best friends since like forever."

Kiba shrugged.

After that they dropped the subject, and Naruto was thankful. They pretty much stopped talking altogether actually, and instead they played some games on Kiba's most recent console.

"Do you know who's gonna be there tonight?" Naruto eventually asked.

"The whole gang I think."

"Cool."

That was pretty much the only conversation they made. After a couple more beers and games – which Naruto mostly won, frustrating Kiba greatly – they decided to get going. Besides Ino had texted Kiba that she was already at the usual club, and Sai had texted Naruto the same thing.

"Let's leave our coats here," Kiba suggested, "that way we don't have to pay for check room."

"All right," Naruto shrugged.

He never really got cold anyway, and with some alcohol in his blood it was even more likely that he would be just fine. Besides the club wasn't that far.

The beginning of the evening was the same as usual. Kiba and Naruto went straight for the bar to drink some more beer. Ino, Sakura and Hinata were there, and they were starting to get drunk as well. It didn't take them much; one or two cocktails, and they were tipsy.

Gaara and Sai were respectively drinking martini and cosmo. Kiba made the usual joke about them drinking girly stuff. No one laughed.

Yes, it was pretty much the usual – that is, until later in the evening, when people started getting really drunk, including Naruto. Despite his best intentions, he had accepted too many shooters from his friends, and he'd had too many beers. But he wasn't the only one, his friends were completely drunk as well.

The club was crowded, the music was good, the lights were flickering and people were crazy. Kiba finally worked up his courage and started dancing with Ino. Sakura and Hinata were dancing next to each other and some guys were constantly flirting with them, but they sure weren't complaining. Sai and Gaara were each dancing on their own, with some pretty sweet moves. It made Naruto wonder if it was a gay thing to be a good dancer. He wondered if Sasuke was a good dancer. Probably not, since the antisocial prick never went out at all.

Naruto himself wasn't a bad dancer, especially when he was drunk, because he lost his inhibitions. He let his body move freely, following the steady rhythms and beats of the music. And since he was really tall with a pretty good figure and an overall handsome appearance, he always got his share of lustful looks – mostly from girls since they were in a straight bar.

This time was no exception. At some point he started dancing with a really hot girl with fiery red hair. But to this point, it was still pretty much the usual night out with his friends. When it started becoming different, and kind of strange, was a few minutes later. A few minutes after he had started dancing with the girl; Sai started dancing with her as well.

And the girl was enjoying it. There she was, in the middle, with the pale-skinned guy with short black hair behind her, and Naruto in front. The latter wasn't feeling uncomfortable though, actually he thought it was kind of cool. But then Sai's hands started wandering towards him. Instead of staying around the girl's thin waist, they reached out to touch Naruto's hips. The three of them were dancing really close at this point.

Sai's hands were caressing his hips and Naruto… didn't dislike it. To his own surprise, he was still not feeling uncomfortable. He was okay with it. He looked at his other friends, but they were all too busy dancing with other people to pay him any attention. So he just shrugged and continued dancing with the girl and Sai.

"What's your name?" the girl asked, and Naruto introduced himself. She smiled and said, "I'm Hitori. So, how about the three of us hang out later?"

Naruto didn't know what to answer. Hang out? He wasn't an idiot – well, not that much of an idiot – he knew what she meant. She wanted a threesome… He looked at Sai. He had lust written all over his face as he stared right back at him. The girl – Hitori – turned around so that her back was now facing Naruto. He continued dancing with her, keeping on her waist. Sai, though, was still caressing Naruto's hips.

The red-headed girl talked in Sai's ear, and the latter smiled. He looked up at Naruto again, and nodded. At this point, Naruto started feeling a little uncomfortable. A threesome huh? With this girl – who he absolutely didn't mind fucking – and… Sai. What should he do?

When he thought about it, he realized he didn't find Sai bad looking. He was kind of short though, which was a turn off. Naruto was really tall and, he thought, if he were into guys, he would like them to be almost as tall as him, like Sasuke for example. Also, he didn't like Sai's hair, it was too short. He liked Sasuke's long hair better. Sai's face wasn't ugly, but it wasn't pretty either, in Naruto's opinion. It was just… normal. Sasuke's face, for example, was so much prettier. It was just so delicate, and cute, when he wasn't glaring like the bastard he was. But even when he was glaring, sometimes, he was the cutest…

Wait, why the hell was he thinking about Sasuke so much?

He needed to focus. The club was about to close, and the two others were waiting for his answer.

"Yeah sure," he finally said, nodding his approval.

He was saying yes only because he was drunk. He really needed to stop drinking so much.

"Awesome," Hitori smiled.

They walked out the club together and discussed where they should go.

"I still live with my parents, we can't go to my place," Hitori said.

"I have three roommates and I'm sort of crashing on the couch right now," Sai replied, "so we can't go to my place either."

"I thought you were an actor, aren't you rich?" Naruto asked.

"You're an actor?" Hitori exclaimed, "That's so cool!"

"Yes I'm an actor, but I haven't done any projects in a while and no I'm not rich," Sai explained, "I'm kinda broke right now actually."

"Well we can't go to my place either," Naruto said, "with my roommate we have a rule, we never bring anyone home, except if it's our official girlfriend or whatever. Neither of us have broken the rule in two years, I'm certainly not gonna start now."

The two were looking at him expectedly.

"Oh come on, please," Hitori insisted.

"You're talking about Sasuke?" Sai asked, "Well, can't we ask him to join us?"

"Is he hot?" Hitori asked.

"From what I remember yeah," Sai informed, "not exactly my type but yeah sure he is."

"Look, guys, he's not gonna want to join us!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Why not?" Hitori inquired.

"Because he's not like that!"

"You don't know until you ask," Sai shrugged, "come on let's go."

They started walking, following Naruto's lead, but the latter was still really unsure. Even in his drunken state, and even if he really wanted to get laid, he somehow knew that Sasuke would be pissed at him for bringing people over. And of course the antisocial bastard wouldn't agree to join them for a foursome that was just crazy. Naruto couldn't even picture Sasuke doing something like that. Hell for all he knew, maybe Sasuke was still a virgin.

"So you're gay, right?" Hitori randomly asked Sai.

"Yeah."

"And you're straight?" she asked Naruto.

"Yup."

"Will it be your first time with a guy?"

"Yeah…"

"What about you Sai?"

"Of course not, what do you think I am, a virgin?"

She laughed, "So are you a top or a bottom?"

"Does everyone ask that question?" Naruto inquired.

"Pretty much," Sai let out a sigh, "it's annoying. And I do both, to answer the question."

"Cool," Hitori said.

"What about Gaara?" Naruto asked, suddenly curious.

"Top," Sai answered without hesitation, "he doesn't like being dominated."

"Have you two ever…?"

"Hooked up? Yeah," Sai answered, "but then we decided it was better to just stay friends."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. But now they had almost reached his place. And with all this talk, he had kind of forgotten about Sasuke. This wouldn't be good, he just knew it… But they had come this far.

Sasuke had left the door unlocked for him, as always. So he pushed it open, and invited the two others in.

The raven looked up and his dark eyes widened. He looked almost scared. Well, Naruto could understand his shock – after all, he really hadn't broken the rule in two years. And besides, Sasuke was topless, as he often did inside the apartment, he was only wearing sweat pants. Naruto, the alcohol not helping, decided to be overly friendly. It would be a good way to invite him to join them after all. Why not give it a try?

So he smiled and walked towards him. He put his arm around his shoulders casually.

"What's up?"

As usual Sasuke shoved him away.

"Your hand is fucking cold. Where the hell is your jacket anyway?"

"I left it at Kiba's."

"Who are they?"

"You don't remember me?" Sai asked, "We went to high school together."

"Doesn't explain why the hell you're here," Sasuke said coldly.

"I'm Hitori," the red-head smiled, "and we're here to have drinks and hang out, and maybe more. You should join us."

Sasuke slowly looked at Naruto. He lifted a shaky pale hand to run it through his hair. His eyes showed that he was hurt, and Naruto frowned. Why did he have to react like this? Why did he always have to make him feel so guilty?

"You should try to have fun for once," Naruto said.

Sasuke lowered his voice, so that he was the only one who could hear, "You're gonna fuck Sai."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Naruto pretended it was a question though.

"No!" he exclaimed, then lowered his voice, "of course not. Look, just have a drink with us, and we'll see what happens…"

"We'll see what happens? Do you take me for a fucking idiot?"

"Sasuke…"

"No, save it," Sasuke frowned and took a step back, "I thought we had an arrangement, but obviously you don't give a shit anymore."

Sasuke quickly went to put on his thin zip up sweater, and then his shoes and he stormed outside. Naruto wanted to try to stop him, but with the two others watching he wasn't too sure what to do.

"Well," Sai shrugged, and placed his arm around the red-head, "it's just the three of us then."

She giggled and ran towards the kitchen. They took out three beers, laughing, and smiling, as if nothing had happened. As if Sasuke hadn't just stormed outside in the cold, late in the night, in just light sweat pants and some tiny sweater. Naruto was still somewhat in shock, looking at the door. He was so worried about Sasuke. This had never happened before. He regretted bringing these two drunken idiots to their apartment so much now…


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, I've got to put a warning for this story. I should've done it before lol but anyways. Here goes, there's some OOCness in this story. That's right, most of them – if not all – are more or less out of character in my opinion. Also there are some outside characters. So yeah, you've been warned. I'd just hate for people to flame me about things like that. Anyway, that's pretty much it. Enjoy the chapter^^

Chapter 3

After wandering around aimlessly, Sasuke decided to call the number of that guy... He didn't really know why, but he had put it in his cell phone. And all he had on him right now was his cell.

After all, what other choice did he have? The only other person he could maybe call a friend was his agent. But… who was he kidding? He wasn't really his friend, he was just his agent, in other words he was making money out of him. That was their only relationship.

So he called the number. Because he was freezing. And somewhere in between freezing to death in the streets and going back home to watch Naruto having a threesome with Sai and that other girl, there was another choice; calling the bartender/waiter's number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, um, I was wondering… we met the other night, and…"

God his voice was trembling. He must have sounded like such an idiot. Besides the guy didn't even know his name, so how could he identify himself?

"Who's this?"

At least he hadn't hung up.

"Hum… actually you don't know my name but… we… went to your place and…"

"Oh it's you! I was wondering if you'd call me. I just finished my shift! Wanna come over?"

"Yeah sure."

"Great!"

Sasuke got lost. He cursed his awful sense of directions. He ended up finding his way, but it took him close to half an hour. The freezing cold wind was blowing through his light clothes, and sometimes he was tempted to just lie down on the ground covered with dry leaves, and just sleep – but that would be kind of suicidal.

Thankfully none of that happened, and he found himself standing in front of the guy's apartment building. He couldn't remember which apartment it was exactly though.

He took out his cell phone and sighed; he couldn't even feel his fingers anymore. Suddenly the door opened, and the silver-haired guy walked out of the building, saving him the trouble of trying to dial his number.

"I saw you from my window, just standing there like a lost puppy," he chuckled as he stepped closer, "what the hell are you doing? Come on in…"

"I just…" his teeth were clattering, and he was having a hard time forming any coherent sentence.

The guy's expression switched from amusement to worry in a matter of seconds.

"It's fucking freezing out here, come on," he put his arm around him and urged him forward.

Sasuke didn't shove him away like last time. He didn't have the energy to do even that. He just wanted to sleep in a warm bed… yeah, warm would be good…

"Don't you own like, a coat or something?"

"I kinda… left my place… in a hurry," Sasuke muttered through clattering teeth.

"I'm Suigetsu, by the way. I know you don't want to know my name, but hey, you're clearly not here to fuck, so screw your stupid rules," he chuckled.

"Fair enough…"

Inside the apartment Sasuke went to sit on the sofa bed. He was still shaking really badly, so Suigetsu gave him a warmer sweater and a blanket.

"You can… fuck me if you want but… I can't promise you I won't pass out or something…"

Suigetsu stared at him from the kitchen, "I'm not a rapist, for your information."

"What're you doing?" Sasuke asked, his voice still pretty weak, but the other heard him anyway.

"Making tea."

Sasuke felt so tired, and cold, but he was glad to be inside. He didn't particularly like Suigetsu's place – it was terribly messy, like Naruto's bedroom – but at least it was warm. He took off his shoes, feeling impolite for having kept them on in the first place. He sat cross-legged, with the blanket covering him. He was just thankful he hadn't lost any toes.

Suigetsu brought the low table closer to the bed, and then he came back with two mugs.

"Thanks," Sasuke whispered before tasting his tea. He looked up, "What is this?"

"Citrus tea," Suigetsu said innocently.

"With…?"

"Cognac," he laughed, "and some honey. You don't like it?"

Sasuke tasted it again, "It's good actually. It's strong, but it's okay. I needed a drink and something warm at the same time so it's kinda perfect."

"That's what I thought," Suigetsu smiled.

They sat in silence for a little while, simply sipping their hot drinks.

"Are you gonna tell me your name?"

"Sasuke," he answered.

"Nice to officially meet you Sasuke. And are you gonna tell me what happened to you so that you were wandering around in the freezing night, and swallowed your pride and actually called me?"

The raven chuckled, and took another sip, "I just couldn't go home."

"Why not?"

"You remember the blond guy at the restaurant?"

"Yeah vaguely…"

"Vaguely?" Sasuke raised a brow, "He's kinda fucking hot, how could you forget?"

"I was too busy looking at you," he smiled.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Anyway, he's my roommate. And let's just say he had company tonight. It's against our arrangement, and I was really pissed off… Maybe I overreacted."

"Nah I don't think you're overreacting. I think you're jealous."

Dark eyes widened and he looked up at him through his bangs. Suigetsu chuckled and reached out with his hand to place the black locks behind his ears.

"There, now I can actually see your face."

"Why did you say that?"

"What?"

"What you said before…"

He drank some more tea to hide his embarrassment. It really did taste good.

Suigetsu shrugged, "You fell for your roommate. Happens all the time. Kinda cliché."

"I guess when you put it like that…"

"Let me guess, he's straight?"

"Apparently not so straight," Sasuke said bitterly, "he's having a threesome with another guy and a girl as we speak."

"Oh…"

"Yeah I kinda didn't see it coming so it just… made me angry I guess."

Suigetsu nodded thoughtfully. He put his mug on the table, and then he took Sasuke's to put it down as well. The latter looked up at him curiously.

Suigetsu leaned closer, and wrapped his arms around him. He held him really tight, and rubbed circles on his back.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke whispered.

"Just looked like you needed a hug," Suigetsu replied in an equally low voice, "you're still cold," he pulled away so that he could look into his eyes, and he made a little smile, "I know just the best way to warm you up…"

He unzipped Sasuke's sweater, and his violet eyes widened slightly when he realized he had nothing underneath.

"I'm kinda… surprised you're still alive and turned on at the same time, is that weird?"

Sasuke chuckled, "I told you I left my place in a hurry…"

"Poor baby," he whispered, "you must've been so… so cold…"

The silver-haired guy had helped him out of his sweater already, and he was now caressing every inch of his exposed skin. He was kissing his neck, and his shoulders. His hand came dangerously close to the hem of his sweat pants. He lay Sasuke down on the mattress and then he loomed over him.

"The other time you said no kiss but… Can I kiss you?" he asked playfully.

He didn't get an answer, so instead he pulled away and took off his clothes, making a show out of it. Sasuke made a little smile.

"I really wanna kiss you," Suigetsu whispered as he leaned closer again.

He pressed their naked chests together and brought his lips dangerously close.

"You know, I really like your piercing," he said as he brought a finger to Sasuke's lips to caress them, "it doesn't look good on everyone, but on you it looks sexy, cause your lips are just so perfect…"

"Shut up, and kiss me…"

Sasuke brought his hand behind Suigetsu's neck and pulled him closer. Their lips touched and they started making out. It lasted a really long time. Suigetsu wasn't a bad kisser, and it was far from being unpleasant. Sasuke hadn't kissed anyone in a while actually, a really long while, so he was kind of letting himself enjoy this moment.

They rolled around in the bed, so that they were lying down on their sides face to face, their hands all over each other and their legs entangled. It was heated and passionate at first, but then it slowly became softer. They were just holding each other and kissing, almost tenderly.

When they pulled away Suigetsu gave him one more quick, soft kiss, and smiled.

"That was amazing, you're a really good kisser," he said as he brushed his hair behind his ear.

"You're not bad yourself," Sasuke whispered.

Suigetsu's smile widened, and he slid his arm around Sasuke's waist, holding him close.

"You seem so tired, and I don't want to take advantage of you…" he said softly, "why don't we just go to sleep?"

"…Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Suigetsu said, pulling away slightly so that he could look in his eyes, "I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. I absolutely don't care if we don't have sex, it's a pleasure to have you here. We don't have much choice but to sleep in the same bed though…"

Sasuke chuckled, "Yeah…"

There was only a sofa bed, after all. So they cuddled together under the sheets, and it didn't take long until they fell asleep. After a long night at work Suigetsu must have been pretty tired himself. It was unusual for Sasuke to sleep with someone, but he could make an exception, especially since he absolutely didn't want to go home to Naruto fucking Sai and that girl…

…

Naruto was in the living room, while Sai and Hitori were getting it on in his bedroom. He couldn't fucking believe it.

He lay down on the couch and curled up on his side, hoping to get some sleep. It was really late after all. He shivered; it was a little bit cold so he went to get a blanket. He was really worried about Sasuke. Earlier he had texted him, but he had gotten no answer. At least he was reassured to know that Sasuke actually had his cell phone on him. He had forgotten his keys though. So Naruto had left the door unlocked.

He could still hear Sai and Hitori having sex, and it was kind of disturbing. He wanted to erase the memories of this night, but unfortunately he wasn't that drunk. And the images wouldn't stop playing in his mind.

At first it had been fun, even though his worry about Sasuke had been nagging at the back of his mind. With Hitori they had started making out, and they had taken off their clothes. They'd had a couple more beers so he had been too drunk to care about Sai being there – at first that is. But after a while Sai had decided to slowly become more involved. Basically, while Hitori had been giving him a blow job, Sai had… replaced her.

And Sai had been better at it actually. Naruto had really enjoyed it. Besides at the same time Hitori had been making out with him so it had been kind of cool to get so much attention. But then Sai had softly pushed the girl away and he had leaned in for a kiss as well. And it had kind of freaked him out. The others had laughed and told him to relax.

Naruto couldn't remember everything clearly, but at some point he had put on a condom and gotten ready to have sex with Hitori. But then Sai had… tried to do something really weird. He had tried to have sex with Naruto… while he was having sex with her. And Naruto had completely freaked out. He had run away from them both before Sai could actually do anything.

And now he was in the living room. The others didn't seem to be missing him that much. And Sai was probably too drunk to care about the fact that he was fucking a girl instead of a guy. Naruto shook his head in disbelief as he recalled those events.

He considered himself a pretty open minded person. And actually, with so many people around him being gay – including his best friend now – he felt like maybe he could try it at some point in his life, just as an experience. But not with Sai, ugh…

And he would definitely top if he were ever to try it with a guy. That was for sure.

…

The next day, or actually, later that day, Naruto woke up feeling sick. He went to the bathroom to throw up. Yet another beautiful day that he would spend being hangover. And then he realized that he was supposed to work.

"Fuck…"

He hurried up and searched for his cell phone. Damn, Sasuke was gone one night and the apartment was already turning into a mess. Suddenly he thought that maybe he was back, so he went to check his bedroom. He sighed; still no Sasuke.

He checked his own bedroom. His cell phone was there of course. And so were the two people he had brought home, still sleeping on his bed, each on their side.

Naruto hurried to the bathroom because he felt sick again. He couldn't exactly go to work like this… So he called in sick. They seemed to buy it. They never fired him the first time he did it. But when he started doing it every weekend, that was another story.

He stayed in the bathroom for a little while, and he found himself staring at the door. He was kind of hoping to see Sasuke poke his head in and join him, just to keep him company like he always did. He would tell him that he was an idiot, and then he would tell him to drink some water.

He still had his cell phone on him, so he decided to try to call him. He got no answer. He was really starting to get worried. The truth was, the bastard didn't really have any friends other than him, so where the hell was he? He probably didn't even have his wallet, since he had left in such a hurry. All he had was his cell phone, and he wasn't even answering it…

Naruto decided to try calling him, over and over again. Still nothing. He ended up throwing his cell phone away in frustration – not to the extent that it would break, he couldn't really afford to do such a thing.

When he felt a little better, he took a shower. He took his time, and he was hoping for two things. First, that Sai and Hitori would be gone when he was finished, and second, that Sasuke would be home.

None of those two things happened. He sighed, and, wearing only a towel wrapped tightly around his waist, stood in the doorframe of his bedroom.

"Guys?"

Still sleeping.

"Guys!" he said loudly.

"Hmm?" Sai muttered, "Five more minutes…"

"You can sleep five more minutes in your own damn bed," Naruto replied.

Sai opened his eyes, and Hitori woke up as well.

"Oh shit…" she muttered.

Sai simply got up and started looking for his clothes. Naruto helped him by kicking his jeans in his direction. Sai just took them and put them on, calm as ever.

"Shit," Hitori repeated, "I'm gonna be late for work…"

"Just do what I do," Naruto shrugged, "call in sick."

She glared at him, "They'll fire me."

"Yeah," he shrugged again, "that can happen sometimes."

"Jerk," she muttered, "why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"And now I'm a jerk," he rolled his eyes, "great…"

"Yes, you kind of are. Can't you at least be nice to me?" she whined as she put her clothes on quickly.

"I feel sick, and I'm fucking worried that my best friend just died freezing in some back alley, so no, I don't feel like being nice, sorry."

"Fuck you," she replied.

"Oh will you just shut up?" Sai snapped at her, "You do realize we slept in his bed and he had to sleep on the couch in his own apartment?"

"Thank you Sai," Naruto said.

"I hate you both," Hitori said, and she walked past him quickly.

"I'm devastated," Naruto muttered, hoping she would hear him anyway.

She stormed out of the apartment without one more word.

Sai and Naruto sat on the bed next to each other. Sai still looked tired, and Naruto was quite tired himself.

"What a weird night huh?"

"Yeah," Sai nodded slowly, "I can't believe I fucked her. You know, it was my first time with a girl."

"Really?"

"Yup."

"Wow… How was it?"

Sai gave a half-hearted shrug, "Not really good," he admitted, making Naruto laugh.

"Oh well, now at least you're sure about your orientation."

"Meh I was already sure. So… what about you?"

"What about me what?" Naruto asked nervously.

He suddenly felt the urge to get dressed, so he picked up some clean clothes randomly and he went in the bathroom to get changed. It just felt safer.

When he got back in his bedroom Sai was still sitting on the bed, and he was looking up at him, amused.

"You're aware I saw you naked last night. I even gave you a…"

"It's okay, I'm aware!" Naruto interrupted him.

Sai laughed softly, "I'm sorry I freaked you out. But hey it was an experience for the both of us. It's good to experiment sometimes."

"I still broke the rule I had with Sasuke, and he's still not here," Naruto said in a low voice.

Sai put his hand on his shoulder, "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure he's fine."

"You barely even know him. How could you know?"

"I know he's not an idiot."

Naruto had to admit he had a point there.

"So… you didn't answer my question."

"What question?" Naruto asked, suddenly nervous again.

He realized Sai still had his hand on his shoulder. He moved away slightly, and Sai got the hint and removed his hand.

"Are you straight, or bi or…?"

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged, "I always thought I was straight, so that's probably what I am."

"You seemed to like it when I was…"

"Maybe," he interrupted him again, "but I mean I'm a guy. How could I not like… that?"

"Some straight men would never want another man to even approach them."

"Well I was drunk," Naruto shrugged, "so maybe that's why…"

"Maybe. But you should give it some thought. Have you ever been attracted to guys? Ever had dreams…?"

"Well," Naruto glanced away, embarrassed, "there was this one time, I had a dream… with a guy…"

"Yeah…?"

"I'm not telling you any more!" Naruto said defensively.

"Who was it?"

It was Sasuke. But he wasn't telling anyone that. Ever.

"I just told you, I'm not telling you any more!"

But really, Naruto thought, who wouldn't have erotic dreams about Sasuke? He was fucking gorgeous. A little bit too skinny but… gorgeous nonetheless.

"Were you top or bottom in the dream?"

"Top," he answered right away, making Sai laugh.

"Oh now that, you don't mind telling me. So maybe that's why you freaked out last night. You wouldn't mind being top, but being bottom scares you. That's normal I guess."

"Stop trying to analyze me," Naruto said, annoyed.

Of course, he was annoyed because Sai was kind of right.

"So…" Sai said very slowly, "if we were to do this again, I mean, just the two of us, and you would top, would that be okay? I mean, it would be an experiment for you…"

"No, just, no! Stop it! No more experiments! I think you should go home. We're both tired…"

"Just think about it," Sai shrugged, "and if you feel like it give me a call some time. We can go on a date and then see what happens. I've always been attracted to you, to tell you the truth."

"Well that's kinda straight forward…"

He shouldn't be surprised, after all, Sai was always straight forward, and sort of blunt too. And he always tried to analyze people. It was starting to get on Naruto's nerves.

At least after that he walked towards the door. Naruto was relieved as he watched him put on his shoes.

But then Sasuke came home. And it was really awkward.

He was just standing there, in the entrance, wearing the same clothes as the night before, but now with a warm jacket. It was violet and actually in another situation it would've been funny to see Sasuke wearing this color. But right now Naruto didn't feel like laughing.

"I was just leaving," Sai said.

Sasuke nodded briefly, and moved out of the way. But Sai didn't leave.

"Why were you so pissed off last night?" he asked.

"Sai…" Naruto started.

"It's none of your fucking business," Sasuke snapped.

"I'm just curious," Sai shrugged, "and Naruto's my friend so I care about him. I don't want him to live with someone who's always angry for no reason."

"He had a reason," Naruto objected.

"I'm just saying…" Sai hesitated, then looked right into Sasuke's eyes, "is it because you like Naruto, and you see me as a rival or something? If he had brought only a girl over, you probably wouldn't have been so pissed, am I right?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Sasuke frowned, "and I told you before, it's none of your fucking business. I thought you said you were leaving. Actually you know what? This is my apartment, I'm the one paying for it, and I'm asking you to get the fuck out, now."

He held the door open for Sai, and as soon as he was out he closed it loudly. Naruto swallowed hard.

"Are you… are you okay?"

"Like you care," Sasuke muttered.

He went straight to the bathroom, and a few seconds later Naruto heard the shower. He sat on the floor, with his back leaning against the wall. He clutched his t-shirt, hugging himself. He wasn't feeling so good. This hangover was killing him. Well, just like all the other hangovers. And he was still alive so it was probably not killing him – but still, it was awful.

Thankfully, Sasuke wasn't too long in the shower. He opened the door, wearing only a towel just like Naruto before.

"What the fuck are you doing sitting on the floor?"

"Waiting for the bathroom…"

He crawled his way inside and threw up in the toilet. Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, and he leaned against the sink.

"It's like this every weekend. It's gonna have to stop if you want to live past 30, you know?"

"Where were you?" he whispered in between two coughs.

"None of your business."

"I was so worried! You didn't answer my calls! Don't ever say I don't care, 'cause it's not true!"

He got up and managed to somehow stumble and trip even if the sink counter was pretty much only one step away. Sasuke caught his arm and held him up. Naruto muttered a quick thanks and then he proceeded to brush his teeth. Sasuke stayed there, and Naruto was grateful. He was always grateful when Sasuke was there for him. Even if he was just standing there and merely keeping him company. He didn't like being alone when he felt sick.

"If you cared so much you wouldn't have brought these two idiots over," Sasuke finally said.

"Sai's not an idiot. I'm not gonna argue about the girl though…"

"Why'd you do that?"

Naruto finished brushing his teeth, and sighed, "I'm sorry! It was a mistake, and it's not gonna happen again. But you shouldn't have stormed out like that! If you would have stayed, and asked them to leave, then they would've left."

"I shouldn't have to ask them to leave," Sasuke said angrily, "you shouldn't have brought them over in the first place!"

"I already told you I was sorry!"

"Did you have fun?" Sasuke said, his voice now cold and calm as ever. But somehow this tone of voice saddened Naruto even more.

"No, actually, if you want the truth, I didn't. It was just weird."

"So what you're bi now?" Sasuke raised a brow.

"No! I don't know!"

"Did you fuck him?"

"No!" Naruto exclaimed, "I didn't! He's the one who wanted to fuck me! But I didn't let him!" he added quickly.

Sasuke's dark eyes widened for a moment there. Actually he seemed conflicted between laughter and anger at this point.

Finally he seemed to calm down again, and said, "I'm glad you didn't let him. That would've been so… wrong."

Naruto relaxed a little, and let out a quiet chuckle, "I know right?"

"Anyway… are you feeling better?"

"Yeah a little…"

"You should drink some water."

Naruto smiled. "I will."

Sasuke chose this moment to go to his bedroom to get dressed. It didn't take him very long. He got out of his room a few moments later, running his fingers through his long wet hair absent mindedly. He looked good, as always, in simple but stylish black jeans and long sleeve shirt.

"Are you gonna tell me where you slept last night?"

Sasuke ignored him, and went to sit at his desk and open up his computer. Naruto sat on the couch with a glass of water.

"If you tell me what you did with Sai," he finally replied.

He put some soft metal music on his computer, and Naruto simply listened to it for a few moments, pondering if he should answer or not.

"All right fine…" he sighed, "I let him blow me. But that's it."

Sasuke stared at him for a moment, his expression unreadable, and then he went back to his computer screen, whatever he was doing on there.

"What?" Naruto asked, "What's up with that reaction?"

"What reaction?"

"Well… that's kinda my point, you just didn't react."

"How do you want me to react?"

"I don't know…"

Sasuke remained silent. So Naruto asked him yet again where he went last night.

"To a friend's."

"What friend?"

"You don't know him."

"So it's a guy friend," Naruto made a little smile.

Sasuke stared at him, and raised a brow, "So fucking what?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"No."

"What's his name?"

Sasuke sighed, "Suigetsu."

"Did you guys…?"

"Did we what?"

"You know…"

"No, I don't know."

"Don't play dumb," Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed, and then he opened them again only to glare at him.

"You want to know if we had sex?"

"Well, I'm just curious! You know, since I never saw you with anyone, I thought maybe you were a…"

"A what?"

"You know, a virgin."

Sasuke laughed.

Well, even if he was making fun of Naruto, at least it was good to see him laugh.

"No, I'm not a virgin. And yes, I had sex with Suigetsu, but not last night. Another time, before…"

"Oh," Naruto nodded.

"Why the hell do you want to know that anyway?"

He shrugged, "Same reason you wanted to know what I did with Sai I guess, just curious."

Sasuke started typing on his computer. Naruto knew better than to keep on bothering him. He decided to go to his bedroom to try to get some more sleep. Then he stopped short, and decided that first he would change the sheets.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sasuke was at a gay bar, on a Wednesday night. With Suigetsu, and also Naruto, Sai and Gaara. How the hell had it happened? Sasuke wasn't too sure himself.

It had been about two weeks since the night he had spent with Suigetsu because he hadn't wanted to stay home with Naruto and the whole threesome thing going on.

Since then he had gone on a few dates with Suigetsu. The latter was funny, and very sweet, not to mention good looking and not bad at all in bed. Besides he was a really social guy and he knew a lot of people, so whenever they went out to a restaurant or to a bar, he knew someone that worked there and he could get free drinks. They were always having a lot of fun.

Sasuke was kind of letting himself experience the whole dating thing. His feelings for Naruto weren't gone, far from it, but he needed to stop focusing on them, that was for sure. He needed to give this a try. He needed to have a life of his own.

And the silver-haired guy standing next to him, smiling with his arm firmly around Sasuke's shoulders, well, he was kind of making him happy. And maybe he deserved to be happy for once.

As for the reason why Naruto and his two gay friends were here, it was sort of a long story. The blond had surprisingly not lost his job yet, even though he'd called in sick twice already. He'd had a long day at work, and when he had noticed that Sasuke was getting ready to go out, he had interrogated him for hours, until he finally spat that he was going to some gay bar open on Wednesdays. It was mostly for the staff of other bars to go there and have fun while they weren't working, so obviously this was why Suigetsu knew pretty much everyone there.

So Naruto had kind of invited himself, and he had also invited Gaara and Sai. He had told Sasuke, as an excuse, that Sai had been bothering him to go out and do something together for a while, so maybe finally, after tonight, he would leave him alone. Sasuke highly doubted that but oh well, Naruto was an adult after all; he was free to do whatever he wanted.

And now they were standing at the bar waiting for drinks. Suigetsu was friends with the barman so, if not free, they would have good prices on their cocktails. When they finally got them Suigetsu clinked their glasses together.

"To us," he said.

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke saw Naruto roll his eyes. He decided he didn't care.

He smiled and took a long sip of his cranberry gin, and then he kissed Suigetsu, right in front of Naruto. It was a quite heated kiss, and when they pulled away, slightly out of breath, Sasuke glanced at the blond sideways. The latter had clearly been staring, but he quickly looked away when he realized he had been discovered.

After finishing their drinks they went dancing. Gaara was a really good dancer, and with his intense black eyeliner and dark red hair, was attracting a little crowd of admirers on the dance floor. As for Sai, maybe Sasuke was biased because he just didn't like him, but he didn't find him attractive at all, and he didn't think he was a good dancer either. Plus that fucker was trying to get Naruto to dance with him.

But the blond didn't let him. He declined and danced on his own instead. He was by far the hottest guy in the club. Well, of course, Sasuke was biased on that matter as well. But still, Naruto had such a perfect body, and he was showing it off tonight. He was wearing a black sleeveless top with skinny jeans. He had borrowed some of Sasuke's clothes because he had decided it would be fun to look totally gay – his terms. And with his mid-length, spiky bright blond hair and deep blue eyes, he was just so hot.

Sasuke needed to stop looking at him. It was just hard when all those strangers around were all staring intensely at the blond, and he felt so possessive. But, he needed to remember he had a boyfriend now. Well they were probably boyfriends. He wasn't familiar with this whole relationship thing.

"Sasuke," Suigetsu suddenly called his name, and he looked at him, "you were spacing out."

"I'm sorry," he said.

Suigetsu smiled and put his hands on his hips. He put his fingers in his belt loops and pulled him closer. They started dancing together, with their hips touching. Suigetsu started kissing his neck, and the raven tilted his head back with his eyes half-closed.

"Hmm you like that?" Suigetsu whispered in his ear.

"Uh-huh…"

"You're so cute…" he said as he entangled his fingers in his sleek raven locks.

"You're the one that's cute with your purple top," he teased.

"It's violet."

Suigetsu was actually wearing a black and violet v-neck tee, with pale grey jeans. It was a pretty cool look, Sasuke liked it. He was himself wearing a black tank top with dark blue skinny jeans and a silver spiked belt. He'd had a photo shoot today and his hair had been done perfectly sleek with a flat iron so it still looked like that. Of course, Suigetsu loved it.

After a while Sasuke took another look at their group of friends. His eyes widened at what he saw. Sai was dancing with some guy with strange bleached hair – actually the colour was somewhere in between yellow and orange – and Gaara was dancing with a short guy with spiky black hair. But these two pairs weren't the cause for Sasuke's shock.

It was Naruto. He was dancing with a guy, and he was kind of cute. He was maybe just a bit shorter than Sasuke, but he had almost the same hairstyle. He had a couple piercings and also a few tattoos on his arms. But basically, he reminded Sasuke of himself. And it was kind of weird. Plus of course he was jealous. Was Naruto trying to replace him, or was it a coincidence?

Sasuke didn't really believe in coincidences.

Suigetsu followed his stare, "Huh, that guy looks kinda like you," he said.

Not helping…

But when the guy turned around and they got a good glimpse of his face he added, "Oh, never mind, you're prettier," he caressed his cheek softly with the back of his hand, and leaned in for a kiss.

Sasuke made a little smile, and then continued making out with him, quite passionately at that.

And then he made another mistake when he looked at Naruto again.

He was making out with the tattoo and piercings guy.

"Okay your roommate is definitely not straight," Suigetsu said.

"Guess not…" Sasuke whispered.

He couldn't take his eyes off him. Even when Suigetsu called his name softly and tried to get his attention, he was still staring intensely at Naruto making out with… that guy. He didn't like it. The jealousy was burning him. All these years, he had wanted to kiss Naruto. He had wanted nothing more but to hold him and kiss him. And now some guy… some complete stranger… was having that privilege. It simply wasn't fair.

"Let's go outside," Suigetsu eventually suggested.

He took his hand and led him out, because Sasuke was apparently frozen on the dance floor.

When he got out of his daze – the cold wind helping – he looked up at Suigetsu.

"I'm so sorry," he said in a little voice.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Suigetsu smiled, and, seeing that he was cold, he wrapped his arms around him.

"It's just weird, you know?" he whispered.

"I understand. All this time, you thought he was straight."

"And I liked him, but I couldn't tell him, because of that, but now…"

"You told me you moved on..." Suigetsu pulled away slightly, but he kept his arms around him.

Sasuke frowned, and, the alcohol not helping, he felt himself getting emotional. It was so unlike him, but he couldn't help it. The recent events… it was just too much, and he'd had such a long day because of that photo shoot, and he was just so tired.

He wrapped his arms around Suigetsu as well and he pulled him close again.

Suigetsu kissed his hair, and then his neck.

"I don't want to lose you, Sasuke," he whispered in his ear.

The raven frowned, and buried his face in Suigetsu's neck.

"I'm not going anywhere."

Suigetsu slowly pulled away again. He locked eyes with him. Then he frowned and reached with his fingers to wipe his tears.

"But you still have feelings for him?"

"I…"

"Shh it's okay," he shook his head slightly, "you don't have to answer. It's hard sometimes to move on, it takes time. I understand, even though it's hard for me to see you look at him… the way I wish you would look at me…"

Sasuke looked down, and a few more tears rolled down his cheeks.

Suigetsu made a sad smile, "Baby, why are you crying?"

"I don't know," he chuckled, and wiped his tears nervously. He tried to pull away, but Suigetsu kept his arms around him. "I don't know," he repeated, "maybe I'm just drunk, and tired."

"You wanna go to my place?" Suigetsu asked softly.

"But we barely got here… and what about all your friends, the staff party night… you were really excited about it…"

Suigetsu quieted him with a kiss.

"Don't worry about it. You're the most important person to me right now, you know that?"

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He was slowly getting used to sweet, loving talk like that with Suigetsu, but it was still so foreign to him. It felt good to be told such things, but at the same time, he wasn't sure he deserved it.

"Let's get our coats and go," Suigetsu said as he led them back inside.

After getting their coats at the check room, Suigetsu went to say bye to a couple of friends, while Sasuke stayed near the entrance. When the silver-haired guy came back, he asked him if he wanted to say good night to his friends.

"No," he shook his head.

"All right," Suigetsu nodded and put his arm around him comfortingly as they walked outside.

Later, at Suigetsu's place, they were just relaxing and lying down on the sofa bed, like they often did.

"Can you make that drink… the hot, strong one..."

"With tea?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded.

"Ah, that's right, you really liked that drink," Suigetsu smiled.

He jumped up and went to the kitchen. Sasuke placed the pillows against the wall and sat against it.

"My friend Saito was so drunk," Suigetsu laughed, "he was stealing other people's shots at the bar. He's probably getting kicked out as we speak."

"Who's Saito again?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke! Come on, I introduced you to him the other day, at my restaurant, remember?" he glanced at him before continuing his preparations in the kitchen.

"Oh, him…"

Those two words were sort of a lie. Sasuke didn't remember him at all, whoever he was. He had never had much friends, or people in his life, at all. He was having trouble keeping up with all of Suigetsu's friends and acquaintances.

"And I was surprised to see Jugo come out tonight. That guy never goes out, I swear! But tonight he was courageous enough to show up, and I admired him for that. I hope he's having fun."

"Who's… Jugo again?"

"I'm gonna forgive you for that one cause you've never actually seen him. Well, you saw him on pictures, remember? When I showed you some of my high school pics. He was my best friend back then."

"Oh, right…"

Another lie. Suigetsu brought the two drinks. And he saw through his lie.

"You don't remember, do you?"

"I'm just not good with names," Sasuke said apologetically.

"You're lucky you're so cute," Suigetsu smiled, "I can never be mad at you."

"You should," he sighed, "I shouldn't have stared at Naruto like that."

"You were surprised," Suigetsu shrugged.

He took a sip from his drink, and then put it back on the table. Sasuke did likewise. The silence lingered a little, but the atmosphere between them wasn't tense, and Sasuke was glad. If there was one thing he would've hated in a relationship, it was drama. He was glad Suigetsu wasn't a big fan of drama either.

The silver-haired guy finally broke the silence. "Was Naruto your best friend in high school?"

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, "we kind of hated each other at first. But then… we kind of… grew on each other I guess. And two years ago we decided to move in together. He lost his grandfather, and his grandmother is really sick, so… And I was also on my own, so it seemed like the right thing to do."

"When did you realize that you… liked him, as more than a friend?"

"We don't have to talk about this," Sasuke glanced away.

Suigetsu cupped his chin, and waited until he looked up into his eyes.

"I know. But I want you to know that you can talk to me, about anything, okay? Sasuke I…"

He kissed him softly, then said, "I love you, so much…"

Sasuke moved away, and frowned. He was… kind of scared.

"You can't say that. Take it back."

Suigetsu raised a brow, and chuckled, "I wasn't expecting you to say it back. I mean I know it's soon but, it's how I feel. Hey no big deal. Don't be… don't be scared."

"You don't even know me…"

"Well I'm beginning to know you," Suigetsu said defensively, "and I really do want to get to know you better. That's why I want you to talk to me."

Sasuke wasn't feeling so well all of a sudden. He felt like all of this was wrong, and fake. He felt like it couldn't be happening. A boyfriend. Right. Who was he kidding? He couldn't be in a relationship…

"You want to know more about me?" he asked.

His heart was beating really fast, and he was really starting to feel sick. Suigetsu frowned, and reached out to take his hand. But Sasuke pulled it back.

"Of course I do," Suigetsu said.

"Just type my name in google then. Uchiha. Go ahead."

"Sasuke I don't want to learn more about you by looking it up on google," he frowned.

"When I was… sixteen years old… I…"

"What is it?"

He didn't think before speaking up. Perhaps he should've, because he regretted the words as soon as they came out.

"I killed my own brother…"

Suigetsu parted his lips, but no sound came out. He was shocked, but Sasuke couldn't blame him. Why the hell had he said that?

He picked up his jacket and left the small apartment, just like that, without any explanation. He felt like total shit.

But Suigetsu… he had no idea what he was talking about. Saying he loved him like that, it just didn't make any sense.

He walked all the way home, with his hands shoved in his pocket and constantly shivering from the cold. Fucking winter approaching… Everything was pissing him off at the moment. Occasional people passing him by in the streets were bugging him for absolutely no reason. He supposed the truth was he was probably just angry at himself for what he had done.

When he finally got home, all he wanted was to lock himself up in his bedroom and sleep for a really long time…

But he looked up and saw Naruto, on the couch, making out with that raven-haired guy from the club.

"On the couch, really," he said angrily, "couldn't you go to your bedroom at least?"

He shook his head in disbelief and stormed back out. As he reached the sidewalk, he stopped and turned around when he heard his name.

Naruto had followed him outside.

"Where are you going?" he exclaimed.

"Away from you…" he glanced away.

"Sasuke…" Naruto started.

He was searching his words. Clearly he was more than a little drunk at this point.

"Just go back in there and… continue what you were doing. I'll figure it out."

He started walking again but Naruto followed him, and grabbed his arm.

"Wait! What do you mean you'll figure it out? You just got back from Suigetsu's place right? And you looked angry and tired so… if you're not going back there, where are you going?"

"I don't know, Naruto, why do you care? Just go back to your new fuck buddy. It's a guy, by the way, in case you're too drunk to notice. Or maybe you're gay now, and you didn't tell me, which is kind of hypocritical, since you told me a few weeks ago that you were pissed at me for not telling you before…"

"I don't know, okay? I don't know!"

He was practically yelling, and his blue eyes were teary. Sasuke sighed, he didn't like seeing him like this. Naruto had always been so strong. He had always been his anchor in the world. Lately, he was always getting drunk, and he seemed so confused. Sasuke knew that Naruto felt like his life was falling apart, but he didn't know how to help him.

"I don't know," Naruto said again, this time quietly, "if I'm straight, bi, or whatever, I just don't know anymore. And I know it's fucking pathetic, cause I'm 21, and I should know, but… I just don't. I've never actually been with a guy, I mean, I've never gone all the way, and you know what? Thanks, for stopping me tonight, cause I think I would've regretted it, if I'd fucked him. So thank you. I'm gonna tell him to leave now, and please, please, just come home with me. I wanna talk to you, I wanna spend time with you, I want it to be like… like it used to be between us."

The whole time Sasuke looked him straight in the eye, and Naruto seemed so sincere. They had unconsciously stepped closer towards each other.

Finally Sasuke said, "First of all, you're not pathetic for being confused, tons of people are, whatever their age. And secondly... I'm glad I stopped you too. And third…"

"What's third?" Naruto chuckled.

"You really need to stop drinking so much."

Sasuke looked at his smile, this beautiful smile he loved so much. His lips were full, and perfect, and so kissable. And then he looked at his eyes, his eyes so, so blue. God he could feel himself drown in those. Slowly, almost carefully, Naruto reached up with his hand to caress his hair. He did this often, it wasn't a big deal. Except this time it was different. It wasn't just the friendly ruffling. It was… a real caress, a soft, tender touch. Sasuke stopped breathing. His heart skipped a beat.

Naruto kissed him.

It was brief, it was so, so soft, but also full of contained emotion. Sasuke found his breath again – thankfully, because he was starting to feel a little faint. He looked up into Naruto's eyes questioningly, and then again at his lips. He reached up with his arm to imitate Naruto's action, and he caressed his messy blond locks. And they kissed again. This time it was passionate, and so intense. Sasuke didn't want it to end. And it seemed Naruto shared his feelings, because he was holding him so close, and so tightly.

Naruto was dominating the kiss, and Sasuke let him. He was exploring his mouth with his tongue, and then playfully pulling away, only to kiss his lips passionately over, and over again. Sasuke could actually feel his lips becoming a little bruised, but he didn't care. He wanted more, he couldn't get enough. And he sure didn't mind a little pain…

Actually at some point Naruto bit his lip a little too hard.

"I'm sorry," the blond whispered.

"No," Sasuke breathed, "I like it," he pressed his lips against Naruto's once more.

After a few more minutes they heard someone clear their throat.

"I'm just gonna go…"

They stepped away from each other, as though waking up from a dream. It was the guy Naruto had met at the club.

"I'm sorry," Naruto said.

"Yeah whatever…"

He walked away. Sasuke didn't even try to pretend that he cared.

Naruto cleared his throat nervously, then scratched his hair, and glanced away.

"Let's go inside," he finally said, and Sasuke nodded and followed him.

There was a long silence. Sasuke went in the kitchen to get a glass of water, and he got one for Naruto as well. Then he returned to the living room, where Naruto was sitting.

"Sorry about kissing you," Naruto said.

"Why do you apologize?" Sasuke chuckled, "I kissed back, in case you didn't notice…"

"Oh I noticed," Naruto made a little smile, "I never thought you were such a good kisser. And I must say, a good dancer too. I was watching you at the club."

"But… why would you say that? I mean, you never thought…?" he frowned slightly.

"I don't know. You always seemed so… stuck up. But tonight I discovered a new side of you."

"Oh…" he drank some water and glanced away.

He had been dreaming for so long to have such a conversation with Naruto. But now, he wasn't sure anymore if it felt right.

"And I like it," Naruto added.

"Look, Naruto, you're drunk. We should talk tomorrow."

The blond's smile disappeared, and he nodded slowly.

"Yeah, maybe you're right, and I mean, you're with Suigetsu, so…"

Sasuke frowned. Was Naruto actually implying that he was considering… being with him? This whole situation seemed so… surreal.

"Naruto you're straight. You've got girl porn magazines all over your bedroom. You've always been obsessed with women. You just broke up with Sakura, whom you thought was the love of your life. And what about that girl from your work, I can't remember her name."

"Rima," Naruto whispered.

"Right."

"Nah it would never work."

"Why not?"

Naruto shrugged, and looked down.

"Jiraiya gave me the porn," he chuckled, "and he always encouraged me… But lately I realized… I'm definitely attracted to… men. I just never wanted to admit it to myself before. I thought…"

"What?" Sasuke whispered.

Naruto looked up at him, "I thought that maybe I was straight but, I could still appreciate like, a guy's… beauty, attractiveness, call it whatever you want."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He just sat still and remained quiet. Yes, he had dreamed for this moment to happen, but he had never thought that it could actually be real. He had always thought that… well, it would be nothing more than a dream.

"Like, I think you're really cute," Naruto said.

Sasuke's eyes widened, and he looked up. Okay, was this actually happening?

Apparently yes. And Naruto had just gotten up, and he stepped closer, so that he was standing right in front of him. He took his hands, and pulled him up too.

"I mean it would help if you ate some food once in a while…"

"I eat just fine," he whispered, making Naruto laugh softly.

He then brushed his bangs behind his ears.

"Now I can see your face. It's a shame to always hide it, really…"

Sasuke flinched. This was so similar to what Suigetsu always said when he placed his hair behind his ears like that.

"What is it?" Naruto whispered as he leaned closer.

Sasuke took a step back, and removed his hands from Naruto's grasp.

"You're drunk…"

"I'm not that drunk…"

"Yes you are. And, I mean," he glanced away, and his bangs fell into his eyes again, "whatever happened to, even if I were into guys, you wouldn't be my type?"

"That was a big, fat lie," Naruto chuckled, and he leaned closer again. "I said that the time you took a shower with me sitting on the bathroom floor, right? If you want to know the truth, I was staring the whole time…"

"Pervert," Sasuke breathed.

"Hmm you like it," the blond smirked.

He kissed him, but Sasuke pushed him away softly.

"We should… go to sleep, and talk tomorrow. We're both tired, and you're drunk, and…"

"It's because of Suigetsu, isn't it?" Naruto said sadly, "You're with him now. I knew it, the first time I saw him at the restaurant. I knew, in the bottom of my heart, that he would steal you from me."

"Naruto you're not making any sense, you're drunk…"

"Stop saying that!" he pleaded, "Please, stop. I know I drank too much. I always fucking drink too much. But… what I was trying to say is… would things be different if I had realized this sooner? If you weren't with Suigetsu yet?"

"I don't know," he whispered, "I need… I need to get some sleep."

He went to his bedroom and Naruto didn't stop him. This was so fucked up…

He really was exhausted, so it didn't take long before he fell asleep. But he made some really fucked up dreams. Actually he dreamed about his family, more specifically his brother. Maybe because of what he had told Suigetsu…

He woke up early in the morning, totally freaking out. He had just relived images of his parents' death, and then his brother's death… And then, he had also dreamed about the moment when he had found out that his brother hadn't actually been responsible for their parents' death – others had made him do it. An underground and illegal organization. And his brother had done it to save Sasuke's life, because if any of the other guys had done the job, he would've killed Sasuke as well.

His life had been a total mess back then. Basically, at sixteen years old, he had killed his brother, he had shot him, and of course it had been established as self-defense. But after that he had learned about the organization, and everything that they had done. They had destroyed his family completely. And he had killed his brother like some blind fucking fool who hadn't been able to see through it…

The dreams had been intense, and it had been a while since he'd had dreams like that. He was crying when he woke up. He wiped his tears and got up, unable to find sleep again – even though he really needed it.

He felt sick. He quickly put on some boxers and went to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet. When he looked up, he saw that Naruto was standing in the doorway, also wearing only boxers, and clutching his stomach. He looked kind of pale.

Sasuke quickly got up.

"It's all yours."

Naruto threw up while Sasuke brushed his teeth. And after that they looked at each other and… just burst out laughing. They couldn't stop, for some reason they were finding the situation hilarious.

"We're fucking pathetic aren't we?" Naruto said once he was able to talk through his laughter.

"Yeah, I guess we are…"

"No photoshoot today?"

"Nope. You? No work today?"

"I think I'm gonna call in sick."

Sasuke laughed again, "They're gonna fire you."

"I hate that fucking job anyway. But I really wanted to pay you back. I mean I'll be able to pay the rent for this month at least but…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Sasuke shook his head, "you'll pay me back when you find a decent job all right?"

"Actually I…" Naruto got up carefully, and leaned against the wall, "I decided to go back to school. In January. If I can afford it, anyway… But I visited Tsunade the other day, and she really encouraged me. She said Jiraiya and her had left some money for me, in case I decided to go back to school."

"That's great," Sasuke smiled.

"Yeah… I think I'm gonna try to go in social work..."

"Well you're good at helping people, so you should," he nodded.

He stepped aside so that Naruto could have access to the sink. He brushed his teeth as well, and then he returned to his bedroom. But he motioned for Sasuke to follow him.

They sat on the ridiculous bright orange bed together. Naruto sat against the wall and he patted the space beside him. Sasuke hesitated, and then went to sit there. He took one of Naruto's pillows and clutched it in his arms.

"How's the hangover?" he eventually asked.

"I still feel a bit sick," Naruto made a face, "but I guess I had it coming. I was so fucking drunk…"

"That's what I was trying to tell you," Sasuke chuckled.

"Really? I don't remember that," Naruto laughed.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked at him. Naruto went quiet.

"What is it?"

"What… do you remember exactly?"

"Not much," Naruto shook his head, "Suigetsu's friends kept giving us shooters… And Sai and Gaara bought me so many drinks… especially Sai. And… I think I danced with a guy," he laughed and shrugged, "I mean I was drunk."

Sasuke's heart sank. Everything that had happened. Every word they had exchanged. Every kiss… Naruto had forgotten everything. He owed this moment, the moment he had dreamed about for so long… he owed it all to fucking shooters and cocktails then. Because this Naruto – the sober one – didn't remember a damn thing.

He glanced away. He felt really weak, and sick, and tired… He felt so emotional recently. And having dreamt of the horrors his family had been through… it just really didn't help. And now this… Naruto didn't remember… not a thing…

"Hey, what is it?" Naruto frowned, "Are you… are you crying?"

"No, I," he wiped his eyes, "I'm just… I guess I'm still tired… and feeling sick too."

"Were you drunk too? I think I never saw you really drunk. Hey don't cry… Seriously tell me what's up," Naruto said softly, "did you have a fight with Suigetsu or something? Is that why you didn't sleep at his place?"

"Yeah, actually…"

Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"What happened?"

Sasuke glanced at him sideways.

"I, hum… I told him… about my brother."

"Oh…" Naruto frowned, "the whole story?"

His voice was so soft. He was so caring. It really didn't help… Somehow it made him feel like crying even more.

But he swallowed his tears. He let out a shaky sigh, and tried to calm down.

"No," he answered, "I just told him that… I… you know..."

It was still hard for him to talk about this. Despite his being calm, a few tears rolled down his cheeks. He wiped them off quickly.

"And tonight, I dreamed about that, so… that's why I'm not feeling... so good."

"Well that's understandable," Naruto said sadly, "come here."

Naruto softly pulled him into his arms. There was a pillow and a part of the sheets separating their bodies, but Naruto's arms were still wrapped around his chest, and Sasuke rested his head against his strong shoulder. It felt nice. But again there was this sad feeling deep inside his heart. This sad feeling that they had lost something important. Lost in Naruto's drunken memories.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"When you have… black outs, because you drink too much…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you… usually remember everything later or…?"

"It depends. Sometimes I remember, sometimes it just never comes back."

"You should really stop drinking so much you fucking idiot you know that?"

"I know," he chuckled quietly, "I know…"

"You know but you keep doing it."

"Maybe I'll stop. Maybe you have to help me."

"Help you? How?"

"Like when I helped you quit smoking."

"You destroyed all my cigarettes whenever I bought a pack," he chuckled.

"You laugh now but back then you wanted to kill me."

"Yeah well they're expensive."

"Alcohol is expensive too."

"I'll donate your beers to Kiba."

"You have to stop me from going out. You have to convince me to stay home."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?"

Naruto chuckled again, "Did you consider… just asking me?"

"…Will you stay home next weekend? Friday night, and Saturday night?"

"Will you stay home with me?" Naruto asked, tightening his hold around Sasuke.

"Yeah. We can watch movies."

"Okay. Will you let me read your story?"

"…Fine."

"Then we have a deal."

Naruto nuzzled his hair with his face. It felt like that was what he was doing, anyway. Sasuke frowned slightly, and tried to pull away, but Naruto tightened his hold again.

This was all really confusing. Naruto was acting… pretty gay.

"Naruto?"

"What?"

Since he couldn't move away, he at least turned his head so that he could look into his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't remember what happened last night?"

Naruto frowned, and suddenly he seemed to become aware of their situation and their… position and almost nakedness. They pulled away from each other, but Naruto's eyes didn't leave Sasuke's. He was staring at him very intensely, and still frowning.

"We kissed…"

A/N:

Sorry about the cliffhanger, I know those aren't cool. But hey, I update fast :P

Okay, so what happened to Sasuke in this story is basically a real life version of what happened in the manga. I didn't want to make it too complex or elaborate too much. But, there will be some more explanations in the next chapter.

I hope you liked it, don't forget to leave me a review^^


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Just as Naruto seemed to be remembering the events of the past night, Sasuke's cell phone rang. He reluctantly went to his bedroom to get it. If it was his agent, he would kill him if he didn't answer. He could feel Naruto's eyes following his every movement.

When he checked caller id, he saw that it wasn't his agent. It was Suigetsu. He sighed shakily, closed the door, sat on his bed, and answered.

"Hello."

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess, you?"

"Tired, I didn't get much sleep."

"Oh…"

"I actually… looked up your name on the net."

"You did?"

"Yeah… You shouldn't have told me such a thing and just leave like that…"

"I know," Sasuke said in a little voice, "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. I read some articles and I… guess I pretty much know the whole story. You're not a murderer Sasuke. It was self-defense. This doesn't change anything about the way I feel about you. I love you no matter what. You can tell me anything. I mean it. And if you want to tell me about your family, it would be much better for me to hear it from you, than to look it up in some articles."

"I wanted to go after them, the organization that did this to my brother. I was ready to go after them. I was ready to shoot them and kill them, one after the other, until they killed me I guess. The police got there first. So don't say too fast that I'm not a murderer…"

"You were so young!" Suigetsu exclaimed, "And what happened to you was horrible! It wasn't your fault. I understand your reactions, I mean, I understand, I really do."

"Naruto used to say the same thing," he whispered.

"So he knows everything?"

"Yeah, he's the only one who knows. Well, was. Now you know too."

"Well, I love you, nothing's gonna change that. You don't need to hide anything from me."

"Stop saying that…"

"What that I love you?"

"Stop it…"

He chuckled, "All right, I'll stop. For now. Listen I gotta go to work, but I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay."

He hung up and let out a heavy sigh.

"You okay in there?" Naruto asked behind the door.

"Yeah…"

"Can I come in?"

"Yeah," he said again.

Naruto was already dressed. While he stood in the doorway Sasuke quickly got dressed as well.

As they stood facing each other, Sasuke cleared his throat, "So… do you remember?"

"It's kinda blurry," Naruto frowned.

"To be honest it's kinda blurry for me too," Sasuke chuckled, glancing away.

Naruto stepped closer slowly. Sasuke held his breath.

"Maybe this could… help us…" he leaned closer, "remember."

He kissed him softly, and it felt so good, so wrong, and right at the same time. Sasuke found the strength to push him away.

"Naruto you're just… confused."

"Maybe I am," he whispered, "so where does that leave us?"

"I…"

Sasuke was interrupted by his cell phone. Again. Stupid cell phone…

"It's my agent, I have to take it…"

This time it really was his agent, and he wanted to meet him as soon as possible to discuss a new contract with a client. After the phone conversation, he looked up at Naruto.

"I gotta go, I'm sorry… It's a really important client."

"Guess I shouldn't complain, since you're paying for the both of us with that money," he sighed.

"Don't worry about it," Sasuke replied, "I'll see you later."

…

While Sasuke was gone, Naruto didn't know what to do. He had access to Sasuke's laptop, because he didn't have one of his own, and recently Sasuke had taken pity of him. So when the raven wasn't there, Naruto could use his laptop with one condition. That he never read his stories without his permission.

He had never done it so far, and he knew that their relationship would suffer if he betrayed that trust. But what if Sasuke never knew about it? Then it wouldn't be such a big deal. It would just cure him of his boredom for a couple hours.

So he explored his Microsoft word documents, until he found what he was interested in. Sasuke's most recent story. It didn't even have a title yet. Naruto started reading.

And he indeed spent hours at it. He drank some juice, ate some breakfast, and continued reading. He stopped only to use the bathroom and take a shower at some point, and then wearing only a towel he resumed his reading.

It was so good. But it was unfinished. So Naruto was left craving more.

Sasuke's writing style was passionate, intense, and never boring. Naruto didn't understand all of the complex vocabulary he used, but it didn't matter. He overall understood everything.

Basically, in Sasuke's story, there was some fucked up version of heaven and hell. Angels of heaven, if they didn't respect the rules, could be sent to hell and become fallen angels, or demons. And that was exactly what happened to one of his characters.

And this character was exactly like Naruto. Even his name was sort of similar; Narim. He was tall and blond, with a lean but muscular body, tan skin, deep blue eyes, and full lips – the whole physical description matched. His personality matched as well. He felt lost and confused, and he didn't really know what to do to be a part of the angels once more.

At some point in the story he succeeded, but he was on some sort of probation, where he had to prove that he was truly worthy of that title.

But then "Narim" happened to fall for this young human, Kaito. And of course, even though the name wasn't similar, the description of the young human in question matched Sasuke's.

But after that, things stopped matching real life, because in the story the demon/angel or whatever he was, well, he kind of had this double personality, where he became a sick pervert. He actually raped the other guy, Kaito. But the latter ended up somehow liking it. He was falling in love with his tormentor, and he craved for more.

Of course Narim went from angel to demon again. And then he decided to embrace it, and to obey the demons' orders. One of his first missions was to recruit some humans. He had to kill them first, so that they could become potential demons. He didn't have a problem killing any of them, until, that is, he had to kill Kaito.

And that's where it ended, for now. Sasuke hadn't continued it after that. It was such an evil cliffhanger! Naruto wanted to know what happened next!

Also, he was intrigued. Since the characters were really similar to him and Sasuke, did it mean that the latter actually… loved him, and wanted them to be together? And of course, he couldn't help but wonder if Sasuke was secretly a masochist. Interesting.

Now he felt like telling Sasuke that he had read his story. It was probably not a good idea.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts. Of course he couldn't tell him. Sasuke would kill him. Instead he closed the laptop and went to his bedroom. He checked his cell phone. He had a couple messages from Sai.

_ Did you have fun last night?_

_ Do you wanna hook up some time?_

_ I'm free tonight._

Naruto let out a heavy sigh of despair as he moved on to the next message. It was from Kiba.

_ Wanna hang out with the girls tonight?_

Now that was something he could agree to. Just a friendly hang out, with friends, and friendly conversations. Among friends. Perfect.

It was just what he needed. Things were so confusing right now with Sasuke. And Sai wouldn't leave him alone. Gaara was cool though. He was being a really cool friend, and he wasn't making a big deal of his possible change of sexual orientation. He actually felt like inviting him.

_ Sure! Mind if I invite Gaara?_

_ No problem dude. My place, 7pm. _

…

Sasuke still wasn't home when Naruto left. He wore simple jeans and t-shirt, blue and black, the usual casual outfit for when he was just hanging out with friends. He also had his leather jacket on of course, because it was freezing outside.

He was really happy about this. He wanted to just forget about his problems, and talk about all sorts of random, silly things with his friends.

"Naruto!" Kiba exclaimed happily when he opened the door for him, "What's up! You wanna beer?"

"Yeah sure!"

As soon as he walked in the apartment, he knew that something was off. Oh it was nothing terrible, but it just wasn't what he had expected and hoped for. It wasn't just friends hanging out.

They were all in couples.

As Kiba offered him a beer, and he accepted it with a weak smile, Ino walked up to the brunet and started making out with him. In the corner of the living room, Sakura was sitting on some guy's lap. He wasn't really tall and fit, more like average, but he wasn't ugly either. He looked older though. He had short brown hair and rectangular black rimmed glasses.

And then there was Gaara, whom Naruto had invited. Well he was already here, and he wasn't alone. The guy who was with him was familiar, and Naruto recalled it was the guy Gaara had danced with at the club last night.

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed, standing, "This is my new boyfriend Noboru, he's a doctor, and honey, this is my ex Naruto."

Naruto raised a brow at her. Way to make things awkward.

"Naruto," Gaara came to the rescue, "you remember Tamika from last night?"

Naruto smiled at the short black-haired guy. "Sure, how are you?"

"I was a little hangover this morning," he laughed, "but now I'm okay."

"Yeah same here," Naruto chuckled.

He sat with Gaara and Tamika. He was suddenly really glad he had invited him, because otherwise it would've been just his two ex-girlfriends with their new boyfriends. Even if one of them was Kiba, it was still weird.

"So hey what happened with that guy last night?" Gaara asked him in a low voice.

"Oh nothing," Naruto laughed nervously, "he just went home."

"Did you notice the way Sasuke was staring at you?" Gaara asked, "When you were dancing with him?"

"He was?" the blond asked.

"Oh yeah," Gaara nodded, "I don't think his boyfriend was too happy about it. Such drama, right?"

"Yeah," he chuckled.

Tamika went to the kitchen to get a drink, and Naruto took advantage of the situation to ask Gaara what was going on with the two of them.

"Oh we're not like, officially together or anything," Gaara shrugged, "but I told him I didn't want it to be just a one night stand. So we're gonna continue seeing each other, and see what happens."

"That's cool," Naruto said honestly.

He tried paying attention to the other conversations going on. Ino and Kiba were talking about the fact that Ino was getting drunk way too quickly. They were laughing and kissing and teasing each other. Naruto didn't really feel bad about not being interested into their exchange.

As for Sakura and her new super special awesome doctor boyfriend, they were making sweet talk, looking at each other in the eye and calling each other names like honey, babe, love, and other things like that.

Naruto finished his beer, and went to get another one. Kiba joined him in the kitchen.

"Why did you invite me?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.

Kiba shrugged, "What's the problem?"

"The problem is, if I hadn't invited Gaara, it would've been really weird and awkward for me to be here."

"Look," Kiba said, "I didn't know Sakura was gonna bring her new boyfriend. And Hinata was supposed to come, but she ditched last minute. It's not my fault."

"Yeah whatever…"

"Don't be like that man," he slapped his shoulder.

Suddenly they heard Ino yell from the next room, "We should play a drinking game!"

"See!" Kiba exclaimed, "We're gonna have fun! With Ino we're not like Sakura and… uh…"

"Noboru," Naruto said.

"Right. We're not like them. We're not boring. Now come on!"

They went back to the living room, where Naruto sat on the couch next to Gaara, and Kiba went back to his place next to Ino.

"What drinking game did you want to play?" Sakura asked her.

"Never have I ever," Ino suggested.

"No," Sakura frowned, scratching her pink dyed hair, "not that one…"

"Why not?" Kiba shrugged.

"Maybe cause we've played it what, like a thousand times since high school," Naruto said, and Sakura smiled at him.

"My point exactly," she said.

"Truth or dare then," Gaara suggested.

"A classic," Tamika added.

"Fine," Ino shrugged, and the others all agreed to it.

"I'll start then," the red-head said, "Naruto, truth or dare."

"Dare," he said.

"All right," Gaara was thoughtful for a moment, "you have to… do something sexual with Kiba."

"What the fuck?" Kiba exclaimed.

"Yeah what the fuck?" Ino laughed.

"Something sexual?" Naruto raised a brow, "What does that mean?"

"Can be a kiss," Gaara shrugged, "or lick his neck or his nipples or something. Anything."

"Ugh Gaara don't turn this game into your perverted fantasies," Sakura exclaimed.

"I personally wouldn't mind seeing that," Ino chuckled.

"A dare's a dare," Naruto crossed the room towards Kiba.

The latter looked scared. "Wait… I don't wanna kiss you!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, "I wasn't gonna do that."

Instead he just leaned closer and, like Gaara had suggested, licked Kiba's neck. It was just funny, in his opinion, kind of weird, maybe, but hey that was the point of the game; to do things that you normally wouldn't. It made everyone laugh, and Gaara seemed satisfied.

Kiba exaggerated his reaction of course. He rubbed his neck with his t-shirt until his skin became red and yelled that it was gross.

"So mature Kiba," Gaara said sarcastically.

"I'm so gonna get my revenge on you for that," the brunet threatened him.

"Can't wait," Gaara smiled, unfazed.

"But now it's my turn," Naruto said. "Sakura truth or dare?"

"Truth," she said.

"Boring!" Ino exclaimed.

"Shut up," Sakura snapped.

Naruto had known that she would choose truth, so he had prepared his question.

"Who's the best kisser between Kiba and me?"

She had kissed Kiba a couple times at parties since high school, and of course she had dated Naruto for a few months, so she could give her answer without being biased since she was with neither of them, and had a new boyfriend now.

"You are," she said without hesitating, locking her pale green eyes with his as she took a sip of her drink.

"I disagree!" Ino exclaimed.

"Well I wasn't asking you," Naruto stared at her.

"That's right!" Sakura smiled, "he asked me. All right my turn." She turned her head slightly to look at her boyfriend, "Noboru, honey, truth or dare?"

"Dare," he said, amused.

"You have to kiss the person of your choice."

Big shock, he kissed Sakura. Everybody rolled their eyes. Ino yelled boring again. Gaara lowered his voice so that only Tamika and Naruto would hear him.

"That's why I hate couples at parties. They ruin everything."

Naruto laughed, "Yeah. I bet you anything he's gonna skip his turn."

Noboru stopped kissing Sakura at last and cleared his throat.

"Well I don't really know any of you so… I think I'm just gonna skip my turn…"

Gaara, Tamika and Naruto burst out laughing.

"What?" Kiba asked dumbly.

"Nothing," Gaara said, "who wants to go next?"

"Me!" Kiba exclaimed. "Gaara truth or dare?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. Why wasn't he surprised? Kiba wanted his revenge for earlier. But he was sure that he wouldn't have prepared anything.

"Dare," the red-head said, leaning back in his seat comfortably.

"Okay, hum… just give me a minute…"

Naruto laughed.

"Stop laughing dude I'm trying to concentrate. Okay I got it hum… you have to kiss one of the girls."

"No way," Sakura protested, "honey tell him no."

"She doesn't want to do it," Noboru said lamely.

Naruto couldn't stop laughing.

"I'm your girlfriend!" Ino was saying, "Why would you want him to kiss me?"

"Well he's gay so I thought…"

"No," Ino protested, "change your dare."

"Fine!" Kiba exclaimed, "You know, dude," he looked at Naruto, who was still laughing, "you're kinda pissing me off so I'm gonna get my revenge on you instead. Gaara you have to kiss him."

Naruto stopped laughing and he tensed a little. Kissing Gaara? That would be weird, right?

He didn't exactly have time to give it more thought.

The red-head really went for it, big time. He pressed their lips together and kissed him almost aggressively. He placed one hand at his hip, and the other behind his neck. But Naruto wasn't exactly disliking it. Actually he was kissing back. Why not? This was fun.

When they pulled away everyone was staring.

"Holy shit," Kiba said with wide brown eyes.

"That was hot," Tamika commented.

"Yeah," Ino agreed.

Sakura and Noboru didn't comment.

Everyone decided to go get some more drinks. Naruto was at his third beer now – no big deal, he wouldn't get drunk with just that. He didn't want to be hangover again anyway. But this party was turning out to be kind of fun after all.

"It looked like you actually liked it," Kiba told him when they were back on the couch.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen to their conversation. Naruto shrugged, not knowing what to answer.

Gaara said, "Of course he liked it. I'm a really good kisser."

"He is," Tamika informed.

"Not bad," Naruto said teasingly.

"Not bad?" Gaara raised a brow, and Naruto laughed.

"I could never," Kiba said, "kiss a dude like that."

"Oh come on just give them a break Kiba," Ino said as she took place next to him. "So what should we play next?"

They ended up playing never have I ever. The party became boring. Sakura, Noburu, Ino and Kiba were pretty much playing amongst themselves, asking silly and random questions. Naruto, Gaara and Tamika were kind of left out.

As she got more and more drunk, Sakura sent Naruto some lustful glances, and flirtatious smiles.

At some point Gaara leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "You should be careful. I think she's trying to make you jealous with her doctor guy."

"She's the one who wanted to break up," Naruto whispered.

Gaara shrugged, "Maybe she wants you back."

"She should consider just asking."

"You know how girls are. The more drama, the better."

"Aren't gay guys like that too?"

"You got a point."

Naruto chuckled, "Anyway, this party sucks. You guys wanna get out of here, and go to my place instead?"

"Sure, anything's better than here," Gaara agreed.

"Yeah," Tamika added.

"Uh, Kiba," Naruto said, "I'm gonna go… Have fun you guys."

"Cool," Kiba nodded.

"Bye Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

She got up and quickly walked up to him to hug him tightly. Naruto didn't really know how to react. He hadn't seen this coming. He held her back briefly, with an awkward smile.

"Bye Sakura."

Once they were outside, at a safe enough distance, Naruto exclaimed, "I hate ex-girlfriends!"

"Believe me," Gaara said, "ex-boyfriends are just as annoying. Hey my car's right across the street…"

They used Gaara's car to get back to Naruto's apartment. He was glad not to have to walk in the cold for once.

Sasuke was there when they got inside. He was sitting at his desk as usual. At least this time he was fully dressed. Maybe he had learned his lesson when Naruto had brought other people home.

"Do you mind if we hang out here?" Naruto asked him.

Sasuke looked up briefly, although it was hard to tell since his bangs hid his eyes as usual. Naruto just wanted to cut those sometimes, even though it looked cute.

He shook his head no and returned to his computer screen.

"You guys want some beer?"

Gaara accepted, but Tamika declined, saying he didn't like beer.

"Oh," Naruto said, "sorry I don't have anything else."

"Water's fine," Tamika reassured him.

They went in Naruto's bedroom not to disturb Sasuke's work. Naruto wondered if he was working on his awesome story…

He closed the door, and he put on some music on his radio.

"Your bedroom's pretty cool," Gaara said.

"Interesting, hum, color choice," Tamika commented.

The walls were blue and the bed was orange. Not everyone liked it.

"Sasuke hates it," Naruto laughed.

"He hasn't changed since high school huh?" Gaara said as he sat on the bed, "Still antisocial."

Naruto shrugged, "He's not that bad."

"Hey I have a question," Tamika said.

He was standing next to the window, and staring at Naruto intently. Then his gaze moved to the posters on the walls. There were a lot of posters of half-naked girls.

"I have to admit I'm really intrigued," the black-haired guy chuckled, "are you really bi? Cause that's so rare…"

"I don't know," Naruto chuckled, "but the posters, they're hum… it's gonna sound fucked up but they're gifts from my grandfather. Well, he was more like a father to me, really. And he was crazy. He was so obsessed with women. He actually wrote porn, like, he wrote a lot of screenplays for porn movies, and stuff like that."

"Such good influence," Gaara said sarcastically.

"Well," the blond laughed, "at least he always made me laugh. And sure he encouraged me to be somewhat of a pervert but you know," he shrugged, "it was his own fucked up way of raising me I guess."

"Was he like, homophobic?" Tamika inquired.

Naruto frowned, "I don't think so. He was very kind and tolerant. I don't think he would've discriminated people for something like that. He just wouldn't have understood it. Anyway, I just wanted to explain the posters. I'm probably gonna take them off though," he chuckled, "I'm just so used to it that I don't even notice them anymore."

"That is kinda fucked up," Tamika laughed, "but hey, you haven't answered my question."

"Yeah he answered he said he didn't know," Gaara replied.

The blond nodded, "I'm still kinda trying to figure it out."

"I wouldn't mind helping you with that," Tamika said teasingly.

Well, Naruto wasn't too sure if he was teasing. Thankfully Gaara was here too, so it was okay.

"I'm just gonna use the bathroom," Gaara said and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

So much for that…

…

Sasuke was listening to soft metal music while surfing on the net absent mindedly. What the hell were these three doing in Naruto's bedroom?

Naruto had said they would talk later. Apparently he had changed his mind. It was pissing him off. Would they ever find the time to talk properly? Without Naruto being drunk that is. They were living together, but it seemed they were growing apart sometimes.

At least his career was going really well. His agent had talked to him about a movie today. Some director wanted him to play one of the bad guys in his movie. Well he was a bad guy at first and then he became a good guy - something like that. Sasuke was actually interested by the offer. It could be a nice change from photo shoots and fashion shows.

His train of thought was interrupted when Gaara walked out of Naruto's bedroom. He closed the door and came to join him. He leaned on the desk next to him, looking at the computer. Sasuke closed the web pages and glared at him.

"I just wanted to know what you were doing," Gaara shrugged.

"Nothing," Sasuke replied quickly.

The red-head chuckled. He had a very sexy, rasp voice. Kind of like Naruto's. And Sasuke couldn't help but notice he styled his hair the same way as Naruto, all spiky and stylishly messy. It looked really good.

Great, now he was finding similarities between Gaara and Naruto. What the fuck was wrong with him?

"I saw you in a gay magazine the other day," Gaara said in a low voice, "you were dressed like a bondage slave or something."

"Gotta pay the rent," Sasuke muttered, glancing away.

"I loved it," Gaara went on, "You had a look in your eyes on the picture… It just seemed like you wanted someone to spank you. I jacked off to it."

Sasuke raised a brow at him, "That's an interesting conversation, considering we practically haven't talked to each other in years."

Gaara smiled. Even though he had eyeliner he didn't look effeminate. He actually looked really masculine, in a way. There was an almost dangerous aura to him. He leaned closer and Sasuke held his breath. He felt like he was trapped in his computer seat, while the red-head leaned closer and closer.

He swallowed hard, and asked, "What's your friend doing with Naruto in there?"

Gaara chuckled, "Are you jealous? Well, I can't blame you for liking Naruto. I'd say he's almost as hot as me."

"Aren't you modest."

He chuckled again and this time he pulled away. Sasuke let out a breath that he had been holding in.

"Anyway, I guess I just wanted to say, you don't have to worry, I'm not gonna try to steal Naruto from you. He's not exactly my type, if you know what I mean. You should be worried about Sai though. Well, not really, I don't think Naruto likes him anyway."

"Naruto's not mine to steal from," Sasuke shrugged, "we're not together. Besides I already have a boyfriend."

"You've been together what two days?" Gaara smiled mockingly.

"Two weeks," Sasuke corrected.

"Oh, that's so much longer," he said sarcastically, "and he's your first boyfriend?"

Sasuke stared at him, but didn't deny it.

"You're not gonna stay with him your whole life," Gaara shrugged, "actually I'm pretty sure you're gonna end up with Naruto. Even in high school I could've guessed. Anyway, until then, if you feel lonely, you should come see me. We could hang out some time."

"Thanks for the offer but I'll pass."

Gaara was unfazed. He looked at his computer screen.

"Are you a writer?"

Sasuke raised a brow. How could he have guessed? Sure there was a word document opened but it didn't automatically mean he was a writer.

"You just seem like the type," Gaara said thoughtfully, "antisocial, and more attached to fictional characters than real people. Even if sometimes the fictional characters are inspired from those very people…"

Sasuke's dark eyes widened as he looked up at him. It was like he could read his mind. Gaara smiled as he returned his stare.

"I write too in my spare time. I mean I love my job but… sometimes I feel like there's something missing. Maybe I'll be one of those people who publish something at like, forty years old. And then they'll make a stupid movie with it."

"Maybe," Sasuke said.

"Do you feel the same way about your work?"

"I guess…" he glanced away, "but I don't think I'll ever publish anything."

Their conversation was interrupted by Naruto's loud voice, and his bedroom door was suddenly opened. He sounded really annoyed.

"No means no, god damn it! What is it with people wanting me to fuck them to figure out my orientation! There's already Sai, and now you! Just get out of my room! I'll figure it out when I fucking feel like it!"

Tamika awkwardly put his shirt back on and walked out of Naruto's bedroom. Gaara was clearly repressing a laugh. Sasuke had to admit that it was kind of funny. But he hid his amusement behind a blank expression, because he just always did that.

"I guess we'd better go then," Gaara said.

The red-head and brunet went to put their shoes and coats back on, and after saying good night and thanking Naruto they left together. The blond still looked annoyed as he stood next to his bedroom door. Sasuke got up and leaned against his desk, just where Gaara had stood a moment ago.

"So how did you guys end up here? Did you go out at a club again?" he asked.

"No," Naruto shook his head, "actually Kiba invited me to hang out at his place. But it was lame. Sakura was there with her new boyfriend, and she was kinda flirting with me right in his face, it was weird. And Ino and Kiba are together now. Anyway with Gaara and… that other idiot we got bored so we came here instead."

Sasuke chuckled, "You seem to be pretty popular with guys lately."

"Yeah but I'm not interested in them," Naruto shrugged. Then he glanced away and hesitated, "I…"

"Yeah?" Sasuke asked in a low voice.

"I hum…" Naruto looked back at him, "I'm kinda… interested in you though. But it's okay, you already have a boyfriend, I understand that. I respect that."

"Naruto I…" he sighed shakily and ran his fingers through his hair, "I've liked you for so long… I never thought that you'd actually return those feelings."

"Why did you never tell me?"

"I thought you were straight," Sasuke shrugged.

The blond sighed, "I thought so too. Guess we were both wrong."

He suddenly went back in his bedroom. Sasuke frowned as he heard the sound of paper being ripped off. He stepped closer to see what Naruto was doing. He was taking off all his posters. But he wasn't being careful at all and he was kind of just tearing them up.

"You don't have to do that," Sasuke chuckled, "you could just… I don't know, give them to Kiba or something."

"It's okay," Naruto smiled childishly, "this is fun. You wanna help me?"

"Sure," Sasuke laughed.

He helped Naruto to take off the girl posters. Then they threw it all away. The blue walls looked so empty now, it was strange.

"Your room looks weird like that."

Naruto nodded, "Yeah… now I'll just have to put posters of naked guys."

"I hope you're kidding."

He laughed, "Yeah. I'm kidding."

Thank God…

"Anyway, I'm tired, I think I'm just gonna go to sleep," Naruto said.

"Night," Sasuke replied.

Naruto locked himself up in his bedroom again, and Sasuke returned to his laptop. He wasn't sleepy yet

A few hours later, he received a new email. It was from Gaara. Weird, he didn't even know he had his email. Maybe they had exchanged emails in high school at some point, but they just hadn't used it since then.

Attached to his email was a document.

_Hey Sasuke, it was cool talking to you tonight_

_I decided to send you some of my work, I'm always looking for opinions and criticism. _

_In exchange, why don't you send me some of yours? It doesn't matter if it's not finished. Mine's not finished actually and it doesn't even have a title yet. _

_Maybe we can give each other advice. _

_Looking forward to hear from you,_

_Gaara_

_P.S. Don't worry, I'll be gentle when I give you my opinion. I'm guessing you're not the type of person who lets other people read your stuff very often. _

Intrigued, Sasuke started reading Gaara's story right away. He didn't feel like sending him any of his work, but he would think about it later. Maybe he would change his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Naruto felt somewhat sad and depressed. He had lost his job again – not that he had made much efforts to keep it – and now he was lazily - as in not really - looking for a new one. He was jealous of Sasuke sometimes. He felt like he should try to be a model too. But he wasn't sure if he could stand people applying makeup on his face and styling his hair all the time, and then just standing and letting others take pictures of him. He wasn't sure if it was his thing.

He thought about all this while he was in the bus, in the direction of the nursing home where Tsunade was staying. It was the beginning of December, so he had brought an early Christmas gift for her. It wasn't much, just a nice frame with a picture of Jiraiya, Tsunade and him in the middle, when he was about sixteen years old. It would've been a really happy time in his life, if it hadn't been from the whole Uchiha disaster.

The only dark cloud in Naruto's life, as a teenager, had been the fact that Sasuke was always depressed and sad. He had been so scared for him. Sometimes it seemed like Sasuke was gonna do something stupid like commit suicide. Naruto felt like he had helped Sasuke get through it, even though he hadn't done much. At least he had tried to understand him, while others were just freaked out by him.

Now Sasuke seemed to be doing well. He still had modeling contracts regularly, and now he was gonna play in a movie. When Sasuke had announced him the good news, Naruto had offered him to go out to celebrate, but he had declined, saying he wanted to spend some time with Suigetsu instead.

This was the main reason for Naruto's depressed feelings. They had a deal. They were supposed to spend the weekend together. Sasuke was supposed to stay home with him, and they were supposed to watch movies together, plus Naruto wanted to read his story. He had already read it, but Sasuke didn't know that. It would be nice to actually be able to talk about it with him.

Instead Sasuke had spent the weekend with Suigetsu. And Naruto had spent the weekend going out in clubs with Kiba, Ino, Sakura and Hinata. Yes, his three ex-girlfriends. But it wasn't awkward. Ino was with Kiba. Hinata had met some shy geeky guy and they had sat together and talked all night. Naruto had no idea how the hell that was even possible, to talk for hours in a club where loud music was bursting. And Sakura… her doctor boyfriend had night shifts so he wasn't there.

Sakura had danced with Naruto. The latter had been a little bit too drunk, and he had danced with the pink-haired girl. It wasn't such a big deal. They hadn't kissed at least. But still, it was so weird, and so confusing.

Maybe he could talk with Tsunade about all those things. He smiled at the thought. She would probably make fun of him and tell him that he was still such a brat and an idiot even at his age. Then she would ask him, like she always did, if he could sneak in that evening and bring her a nice bottle of sake.

When he got to the building, it was already a little late. He hoped visit hours weren't over. He took the elevator to the third floor, and walked towards her room. No one stopped him so he supposed it was fine.

It wasn't her in there though. He frowned, and checked the room number, but it was correct. He decided to ask a passing by nurse if she knew about Tsunade.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head sadly.

He clutched the photo frame in his hand, and frowned. Swallowing hard, he managed to say, "What do you mean?"

"She died of cardiac arrest yesterday. We did all we could."

"Why didn't anyone call me?" he asked, trying to control his temper.

"I don't know, you're gonna have to check with registration, in the hall. But I can tell you that we only call the family."

He closed his eyes for a moment. He had trouble breathing properly. He was her family. Even if they weren't related by blood, she was the one who had raised him with Jiraiya. But it was true that only Jiraiya had been registered as his legal guardian. Still, they should've called him.

He swallowed his tears and thanked the nurse, before making his way to the hall.

They gave him the information he needed there. They had already made arrangements with the incineration company, since this was what Tsunade had wanted. It all seemed surreal to Naruto, while he was listening to the receptionist giving him the information concerning Tsunade's folder.

He was only half-listening. His mind wasn't working properly. Still, he nodded and stayed polite and calm. What else could he do at this point?

They gave him the contact information of the incineration company. And then he left. He called the number while he waited for the bus.

They told him that they hadn't been able to contact any direct family, and that if he wanted to organize a funeral, or at least a small service, they could provide him with a room. They told him more details, and the prices and everything, but again he didn't really register the information properly.

He was in a sort of daze as he took the bus. He looked out the window at the darkening sky and the fog. It seemed it started snowing, but just really tiny and occasional snow flakes.

It was only when he sat down in the living room of his apartment, still clutching the frame in his hand that he really took in what had just happened. And before he knew it he was crying quietly. The tears just wouldn't stop falling.

He texted Sasuke.

_Can you come home, I really need you…_

Naruto considered himself to be a really strong person who could take in a lot. But this… this was just too hard to deal with by himself. He wasn't sure he could do it, so it was true, he really needed his best friend. They had gone through a lot of stuff together, and they had always been there for each other.

_I'm on my way._

The text he received from Sasuke made him smile through his tears and sadness. At least he hadn't lost everything. He still had his best friend, no matter what…

He didn't move from his seat on the couch until Sasuke got home. The latter was very quiet, almost careful. His breath was loud and fast though, as if he'd been running all the way from Suigetsu's place. Maybe he had. His otherwise pale cheeks were pink, and his hair was windblown.

Despite his tears Naruto made a little smile. He was really happy to see him.

"Thanks for coming so fast," he whispered.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked softly as he sat beside him.

That was all it took. Naruto tried to control his trembling, and his tears, but it didn't work. He couldn't even form coherent words at this point.

Sasuke took the frame from his hands and looked at it. Then he put it on the low table, and looked at Naruto.

"She…" Naruto's voice broke.

But it didn't matter. Sasuke wasn't an idiot; he figured it out quickly enough.

"Come here," he whispered.

He wrapped his arms around Sasuke, and the latter did the same. They held each other close, and they stayed like this for a really long time. Sasuke rubbed circles on his back softly, and kissed his hair. Naruto held him even tighter, and clutched the fabric of his shirt.

"I didn't visit her… often enough," he finally said in between sobs, "I wanted to bring her a gift but…"

"Shh…" Sasuke whispered, "She knew you loved her."

"But I wish I could… tell her… one last time…"

"I know," Sasuke sighed, "I know…"

And Naruto knew Sasuke understood. If someone could understand loss, it was him. He had lost his parents. He had lost his brother. There were so many things left unsaid.

But it was always like this, wasn't it? It was always hard. It always hurt.

At last they pulled away, and Naruto was calmer.

"I have to organize something. Like, a service…"

"Of course. If you need money I'll help you."

"No," he shook his head, "you're already helping enough. She had some money left, so it'll be okay."

"Did she leave all of her money to you?"

"Yeah I think so," he wiped his eyes.

"You should talk to Gaara, since he's a lawyer, he can help you with that kind of stuff…"

He frowned, "Yeah I guess but… how come you mentioned that I mean… I've never heard you randomly mention my friends before."

"You could say… Gaara and I are kinda friends now," he said.

"Really?"

"Yeah… we've been writing to each other mostly about… writing, actually."

"Oh. I didn't even know Gaara writes stuff."

"Anyway, do you want anything?" Sasuke asked softly, "Do you want me to cook something?"

"No I'm not hungry…"

"Do you want some tea?"

"…Okay."

Naruto just stayed on the couch while Sasuke prepared the tea. He looked at the picture of Jiraiya, Tsunade and him but it made him way too sad, so he put it face down on the table.

"Sasuke?"

"Yeah?" he said from the next room.

"How are things going with Suigetsu?"

"We don't have to talk about that."

"I want to," Naruto insisted, "I want to know what's going on with you."

"It's… going fine."

"Why'd you hesitate?"

"He keeps saying that he loves me, and I never say it back."

Naruto frowned, "Why not?"

He heard Sasuke sigh. "Because… I don't think I love him… the way he loves me."

"Oh… but then, are you gonna stay with him or…?"

"I don't know."

There was a long silence, and Naruto decided to drop the subject. Sasuke didn't look like he wanted to talk about it anyway. Instead he decided to ask him about the movie he would play in.

"What do you want to know?" Sasuke asked.

He brought the two cups of tea, and sat in front of Naruto.

"Tell me about your character."

"He's the son of a gangster who's researched by the police. And… there's a love story between my character and the police chief's daughter. She's taken hostage but I… I mean my character saves her in the end, and betrays his father. You can read the script if you want. I have it saved on my computer."

"I will," Naruto made a little smile, "sounds like a cool story."

"I still have no idea why they chose me. I personally think I screwed up the audition."

"You actually auditioned for it?"

"Yeah a couple days ago. They said I was perfect, like they thought," he chuckled, "go figure…"

"You're not giving yourself enough credit. I'm sure you're a really talented actor. Some actors are really introverted and shy in real life, but when they play a character they're amazing."

"I guess…"

"But why didn't you tell me you had an audition?"

"It was last minute," Sasuke said sheepishly, "and I was at Suigetsu's place, so…"

"You spend so much time at his place," Naruto accused, "it's like you don't live here anymore."

Sasuke didn't reply, but he looked like he felt guilty.

"I mean," Naruto went on, "you should tell him that you love him, because if you didn't love him, you wouldn't be spending so much time with him."

"I just feel like… he doesn't…"

"What?" Naruto asked when Sasuke hesitated.

"I don't know, sometimes I feel like he doesn't understand me… We're always going out with his friends. That Saito guy is such a douche… and Jugo's kinda okay but I mean, that's not the point…"

"Well, what's your point then?" Naruto chuckled.

"At least I amuse you," Sasuke chuckled as well, "I guess my point is… I just feel like he's always showing me off to his friends. Like some kind of trophy. I'm always following him around to his VIP outings to clubs and all…"

"Well I can understand why he'd want to show you off, I mean you're probably the cutest guy in the community."

Sasuke sighed, and put his hands in his hair. "Wow, now I feel so much better about myself."

"But," Naruto went on, "there's so much more to you than just a pretty face. I mean you're such a talented writer…"

"How would you know about that?" Sasuke asked, locking eyes with him.

Naruto quickly glanced away, and suddenly felt the urge to take long sips of tea.

"This is really good," he said.

"Answer my question."

"I might've," he muttered, "read some… of your stuff… but I loved it! I did! It was so good…"

Sasuke's eyes were wide, and he looked really angry. This wasn't good.

"I didn't want you to read anything without asking me first! I trusted you!"

"But you always say no," Naruto whined.

"Maybe because I don't want you to!"

He looked like he was about to say more, but then he went quiet. He also seemed to calm down. Naruto followed his stare. He was looking at the face down photo frame.

"And the worst thing is," he said, his voice softer now, "I can't be mad at you right now."

Naruto chuckled, and glanced down. He wiped a single tear at the corner of his eye.

"T'was all part of my master plan…"

Sasuke made a weak smile and he returned to sit next to Naruto.

"You're officially all I've got now," he said.

The raven frowned, "Don't say that. You've got all your friends…"

"Yeah some friends," he chuckled bitterly, "Sai just wants to get in my pants. Sakura's having fun playing with my feelings. Kiba's afraid of me since I kissed Gaara at his lame party…"

"You kissed Gaara?"

"We were playing truth or dare…"

"Oh…"

"He wasn't bad… but he wasn't as good as you…"

"Naruto…"

"What?" he asked, somewhat angry, "You're gonna keep pretending forever that we never kissed?"

"Of course not…"

"And," he went on, "that we didn't both absolutely love it?"

"It was still," Sasuke whispered, "just a kiss…"

"Yeah right," Naruto replied.

"We're roommates, friends, it'll be awkward if… we do anything more than that… and…"

"You're with Suigetsu, I know," the blond sighed. "But don't ever try to make me believe that you don't feel anything for me. I'm not an idiot. And I read your story."

Sasuke looked up at him with wide dark eyes.

Naruto chuckled, "That's right. I read that one. And like I said I'm not an idiot."

"It's just a story," Sasuke muttered, clearly embarrassed. His cheeks were reddening and this time it wasn't from the cold.

"Whatever you say…"

"It's crap," Sasuke insisted, glancing away, "I should just delete it…"

"No," Naruto said quickly, "don't. It's good. I mean it."

"Gaara didn't like it."

"You let Gaara read it?" he exclaimed, offended.

"We just wanted to give each other advice, writer to writer. But he didn't like it. He said the concept was dumb. Well he liked the sex scene…"

"Well what the fuck does he know? That's all I have to say."

"He's brilliant. He's our age and he's already graduated from law school."

"So what? That doesn't mean he knows shit about good stories. What's his stuff like, anyway?"

"It's really interesting," Sasuke shrugged, "it's dark, it's about werewolves…"

Naruto snorted, "The guy probably fantasizes about Taylor Lautner."

"Who?"

"The werewolf guy in that Twilight movie."

"Oh, no, it's not hum… those kinds of werewolves. They're not exactly friendly…"

"Whatever…"

After a long silence Sasuke said, "Do you wanna watch a movie or something?"

"No."

"What do you wanna do?"

Naruto looked at him. His long raven hair was still slightly messy from his walk outside, and he looked tired. He was still the most beautiful person in the world in Naruto's opinion.

What did he want to do? He wanted to hold him, and to kiss him… Why couldn't he have awakened those feelings when Sasuke was still single? Why did everything have to be so complicated?

"Did you have a photo shoot today?"

"Earlier today, yeah…"

"Does your back hurt?"

"A little… why?"

The blond got up and took Sasuke's hand. The latter looked up at him questioningly.

"Come on…"

He led him to his bedroom. He threw some clothes on the floor and sleeked the sheets and blanket as best as he could. Then he told Sasuke to lie down on his stomach.

"But first take off your shirt," he added.

Sasuke looked confused and hesitant.

"I want to give you a massage," he explained.

"…Why?"

"Cause I feel like it."

"…Okay."

Sasuke did as he was told. And then Naruto climbed on his back and started massaging his skin. Sakura had taught him how to do that. At least, dating a girl in med school had been useful for something.

"Feels nice…" Sasuke whispered.

His eyes were closed, and he looked like an angel. An angel with pure white skin and raven black hair. And piercings. A modern days angel. Naruto chuckled at his own train of thoughts.

He pressed with his hands every time he felt knots on Sasuke's back. The latter was letting out little pained moans sometimes. But it didn't exactly seem like he was in pain. Naruto decided to try something. He pressed just a little too hard on some precise places, where he knew it would hurt. Sasuke frowned and flinched in pain.

"I'm sorry," he stopped right away.

"No… it felt kinda… good."

Naruto smiled and kept at it like he was told.

"Sasuke?" he asked after a moment.

"Hmm?"

"You're kinda… masochistic, aren't ya?"

"…Why do you say that?"

"Because if I do this," he pressed really hard on Sasuke's spine with his fingers, and the raven let out a muffled moan, "most people would tell me to stop, but you want me to keep going…"

"Because it's you," he breathed.

"What was that?" Naruto smiled.

"I wouldn't like just anyone doing… something like that to me. But because it's you… I don't mind."

Naruto stopped the massage and pulled away slightly, so that he could roll Sasuke on his back. He was all flustered.

"Am I fucked up?" he whispered.

"No," Naruto shook his head, "well, maybe a little. But it's okay… Do you also like when Suigetsu hurts you?"

"Suigetsu would never hurt me. He doesn't like it."

"But if it's what you want…" Naruto leaned closer.

He started kissing his neck. Sasuke made a weak sound of protest, but his body was saying otherwise. He wrapped his arms around Naruto.

The blond proceeded to give him a few hickeys. He smiled inwardly. Now, he wondered if Suigetsu would like that.

"What're you doing?" Sasuke whispered.

"Shh…" Naruto breathed in his ear.

Then he bit the sensitive skin, where Sasuke had piercings. The latter moaned again. Naruto chuckled quietly, and it made the raven shiver. This was turning Naruto on so much. He liked the idea of making love to him while hurting him just a little, just keeping it to that edge in between pleasure and pain.

He brought his hands to Sasuke's jeans, but then the latter pushed him away and sat up.

"What are we doing?" he whispered while bringing his hand to his bruised neck.

"I think it's pretty obvious," Naruto said huskily as he reached out to take him in his arms.

Again, Sasuke pushed him away. But Naruto took his arm before he could walk away.

"Look at me, Sasuke, look at me!" They locked eyes, and Naruto continued, "And tell me that you don't want this."

"I don't… I don't want you to regret it."

Naruto got up and stood right in front of him. "I'm not gonna regret it."

"I don't want to lose you," he breathed.

"You're not gonna lose me. We'll always be there for each other, remember? No matter what."

"You say that now, but then, if things get awkward…"

"Why would things get awkward?"

"Because you're not sure, Naruto!" he exclaimed, and he pulled his hand back, "You're not sure," he repeated, "you're just… confused, and curious…"

"What you think I'm just having a bi-curious phase?" Naruto said angrily.

"Well if it's not true all you have to do is deny it!" Sasuke said almost desperately, "If you tell me you don't want just sex, if you tell me you want something real, to be together, boyfriends…"

Sasuke's voice broke. Naruto was frowning, and he stepped back. Sasuke was right. He wasn't sure. He couldn't make any promises. It must have been written all over his face, and his eyes, because Sasuke frowned too, and looked away.

"Wait," Naruto said, searching for his words, "I do have feelings for you…"

"There's a thin line," Sasuke said sadly, "between friendship and love, Naruto. If you can't tell the difference, it probably means it's still just friendship. Because if it were love, you'd just know it."

Sasuke walked away, and locked himself up in his bedroom. Naruto sighed, and let himself fall on his bed.

…

Not many people showed up to the service for Tsunade. It was in a small and simple room, because it was all Naruto could afford. It turned out there wasn't that much money left for him to inherit. Now he barely had enough for the winter semester at college, in social work. But he had applied anyway, and he had gotten accepted, so he would go. If things got to worst he knew that Sasuke would help him.

Sasuke was there of course, and Suigetsu was accompanying him, which was kind of pissing off Naruto. But there was nothing he could do about it. Sasuke was wearing a sweater with a black scarf, and he wasn't taking it off even though they were inside. Because of the hickeys, Naruto thought with a bitter smile.

Things were awkward between them. Maybe Sasuke had been right.

Sakura had made it too, and she was clinging to him the whole time. It was annoying, really, she was trying too hard. But it was true that she had been really close to Tsunade. Ino and Kiba were there too, as well as Hinata and her cousin Neji. They had all spoken beautiful and comforting words to Naruto. But words were only words, and his sadness wouldn't go away that easily.

He had put the photo frame on the small table where the ashes were, in a funeral urn. There were also other pretty pictures of Tsunade. Sakura had cried when she had seen them, but now she was calmer. She was still clinging to Naruto though.

Sai and Gaara were also there. Shikamaru hadn't been able to make it, but it was completely understandable. He had given Naruto a phone call at least.

Other than that there were some old friends of Tsunade and Jiraiya, who Naruto only barely knew.

All in all it was… kind of boring. But he was glad to have at least organized a little something in her remembrance.

Afterwards he invited his friends to his place. A few of them declined, and said that they were sorry, because they had to go to work. So it ended up being just Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Sai and Gaara at their apartment.

They ordered some take out food because no one felt like cooking. Sakura was pretty much the only one talking. She was recalling memories of Tsunade, and sometimes they were actually really funny, and everyone was laughing at least a little. Naruto was glad that she was here after all.

"It's thanks to her that I became a doctor," Sakura was saying, and she sniffed and wiped her eyes, spreading mascara all over her face. "I can only hope I become as talented as her some day…"

"You already are talented," Naruto told her.

She threw herself in his arms, and buried her face in his chest. The blond wrapped his arms around her tenderly.

As he looked up he noticed that Sasuke was staring at him from across the room. Well if he felt jealous, good, Naruto thought. He already spent a whole lot of time being jealous of Suigetsu, so Sasuke could be a little jealous too once in a while.

When the food arrived they set up the dining table. They almost never used it. They preferred eating in their respective bedrooms, or in Sasuke's case on his computer desk.

Naruto ended up sitting in between Sakura and Sai. He couldn't really say that he lacked attention. Seriously, these two were all over him. But on the other side of the table, Gaara seemed to be all over Sasuke, in the same way. And Sasuke didn't seem to mind the attention.

The blond wasn't really hungry, but he ate a little anyway. Sasuke didn't eat, no surprise there. He probably found this food too high in calories. Sai and Sakura were talking, but Naruto was only half listening. He was observing Sasuke and Gaara.

The red-head tried to feed Sasuke, but the latter chuckled and declined it. At some point Gaara managed to shove some food in Sasuke's mouth with the chopsticks, and the raven obviously hadn't expected it. He looked like he was about to choke. Naruto frowned. But then Gaara rubbed circles in Sasuke's back, and gave him a glass of water, which the raven gladly accepted.

Then Gaara and Sasuke actually laughed together. Naruto wondered what the hell was so funny about almost choking. And he didn't like that Sasuke was laughing. He never laughed. Why was he laughing with Gaara?

Finally, he wondered how long they were going to play this jealousy game… It was unspoken, but they both knew how the other felt, somehow. Naruto was sure of it. Maybe he wasn't sure if he was ready to be in a relationship with another man, but he was sure of one thing, he didn't like seeing Sasuke with someone else.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Naruto, we need to talk."

"Oh my God are you breaking up with me?" Naruto exclaimed teasingly, making Sasuke laugh.

Of course, they weren't a couple. Weeks had passed, nothing had changed. Sasuke was still with Suigetsu, and Naruto was still single and confused. Stupid confusion.

"No, hum, it's about the movie…"

"What about it?" Naruto asked. He chose some soft metal music, that both he and Sasuke liked, from the computer selection and he looked up.

Sasuke had just gotten home, and after taking off his coat and shoes he came to stand next to him.

"We're shooting the movie in Kyoto."

"Oh. That's… far."

"Yeah," Sasuke glanced away, and ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm gonna go live there for a little while."

"What's a little while?"

"Probably a couple months. I'd ask you to come with me but…"

His school was here in Tokyo, Naruto mentally finished.

"Fuck… what am I gonna do?"

"I was thinking," Sasuke said slowly, "maybe you could go live in the dorms. I looked it up and your college has some pretty nice ones."

"But it's expensive…"

"If you have a roommate it's not that bad. And I'll help you pay for it," Sasuke offered.

"No…"

"Naruto listen…" He brought a chair and sat in front of him. "I want to help you. And I'm gonna have a pretty good salary for this movie. So it's not a problem. If you feel guilty about it, you can pay me back when you have your degree and you get a decent job, all right?"

"Social work is not that high paying…"

"It's much better than cashier," Sasuke said.

"Yeah…"

"So what do you say?"

"Well," Naruto locked eyes with him, "we have to tell the landlord that this apartment becomes available in a few weeks then. You're going to live in Kyoto, Mister Movie star," he made a little smile, "and I'm going to live in fucking school dorms…"

Sasuke smiled back, and took his hands shyly, "This will be good for us."

Naruto squeezed his hands gently, but said, "How do you figure that?"

"We'll spend a few months apart," the raven shrugged, "maybe it will help us figure out some things. Like, what we really want, you know?"

"I want to be with you forever. As friends or as boyfriends, what's the difference? Does it really matter?"

Sasuke bit his lip, "Um... yeah."

"Fuck…"

They both laughed. It was kind of weird, but kind of cool at the same time that they were able to joke about this.

"Did I tell you Sakura wanted me to fuck her the other day? I think she wants us to be fuck buddies, and then see where that gets us. But I said no."

"Everyone wants you to fuck them," Sasuke shook his head in disbelief.

"Except you."

"All right stop joking around…" Sasuke went to the kitchen.

"Except it's not a joke," Naruto whispered. If Sasuke heard him he didn't say anything.

He continued browsing the net, looking for a job near his new college campus, while Sasuke was cooking.

"What are you making?" he asked.

"Sukiyaki," Sasuke said.

"Awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, looking in the direction of the kitchen.

But Sasuke was hidden behind the open fridge door. He could only see his ass. What a cute little ass it was…

"I feel like celebrating I guess," Sasuke said.

"For your movie role?"

"And you being accepted at school. We never really celebrated together."

"You were too busy with Suigetsu," Naruto muttered.

"I heard that."

"Oops."

Naruto switched the music to some cheery pop. Sasuke glared at him from the kitchen.

"What?" Naruto asked innocently, "Celebration music."

"I don't like girl pop singers."

"But they're so cute," Naruto argued while watching the video clip. "Like you," he added teasingly.

"Thanks. I do love being told that I look like a girl."

"I know you do," he continued teasing him.

"If you don't change the music I'll make a veggie salad instead."

Naruto changed the music right away.

"That's better," Sasuke said.

They exchanged a smile, and Sasuke returned to his cooking while Naruto returned to his job search. Well, he was supposed to look for a job, but…

"The love and relationship ads on the net are so fucking funny," he said after a little while. "I'm gonna read you one in the man looking for man category. Horny bottom looking for top with huge dick to hook up in a back alley, screw the weather." Naruto looked up, "Maybe I should contact him."

Sasuke was staring at him, "I hope you wear a condom."

Naruto burst out laughing. "I was kidding you idiot. You know I want my first time with a guy to be with you."

"I can't believe you can actually joke about these things."

"I was thinking the same thing earlier. But I think it's kinda cool."

"I think it's kinda weird," Sasuke argued.

"But being normal is boring."

"Maybe you're right," the raven said, and it pretty much ended this pleasant little argument.

Naruto had a smile plastered on his face as he continued reading the silly ads.

"I thought you were looking for a job," Sasuke said.

"I was but… it's so boring compared to this."

"Why don't you come give me a hand if you're so bored?"

Naruto eventually got up and joined Sasuke in the kitchen. He leaned in the doorframe and looked at his beautiful profile, his sleek long hair, and then his pale hands cutting the vegetables really fast. Maybe a little too fast.

He stepped closer, "Hey, be careful…"

Sasuke jumped slightly and cut the tip of his finger.

"Fuck, you scared me!"

Naruto took his delicate wrist, and put the injured finger in his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

He let go of his hand and smiled, "Stopping the bleeding."

"I could've just put it under the water…"

"You could've. Sorry about scaring you. I just wanted you to be more careful, but I guess you cut yourself because of me…"

"It's okay."

Naruto brought him a band-aid, and he applied it on his finger.

Sasuke chuckled, "Thanks."

After that, thankfully, there was no more blood loss. They prepared the meal together, and Naruto was being more trouble than helpful, but it was okay. They had fun, and it was all that mattered.

They enjoyed their evening together, talking about their upcoming projects and the changes to come in their lives.

In the back of his mind, though, Naruto felt sad. He couldn't imagine his life without Sasuke. Those few months apart were scaring him.

…

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

The raven looked up from his word document. Naruto had just gotten out of the shower, and he was leaning in the bathroom doorframe, with only a towel wrapped around his toned waist. He was doing it on purpose. Sasuke swallowed hard, and parted his lips. There was still water dropping from Naruto's mid-length, pale wet hair, on his tan and muscular chest…

"You're staring."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and glanced away. But he could feel a blush covering his cheeks. Damn it…

"But that's not what I wanted to tell you," Naruto chuckled, "actually I wanted to ask you what you were doing for Christmas."

Sasuke frowned. He supposed Naruto had a good enough reason for bringing up that subject; Christmas was in a week after all. Which reminded him, he hadn't bought any gifts yet. He needed to buy one for Naruto and for Suigetsu. Damn, Christmas was so annoying.

"Suigetsu's friend's throwing a party. You can come if you want."

"I doubt Suigetsu would want me there," Naruto looked down, "and I don't know his friend so…"

"His name is Saito and he's… kind of a slut. He'll want to have as many guests as possible. Knowing him isn't a requirement. He likes hot guys so he'll like you."

"Bet he likes you," Naruto said.

"Me?" Sasuke chuckled, "Nope. He likes my boyfriend."

"Oh."

"Yeah… sometimes I feel like he has more in common with Suigetsu than me."

"Why do you say that?" Naruto crossed his arms.

"They're both really social, and they're always partying and all… Kinda like you and your friends."

"Not anymore," Naruto corrected.

Sasuke smiled, "I guess you're right. It's been a while since I had to keep you company while you were throwing up in the bathroom."

"Yeah I don't really miss it."

"Good."

"Anyway," Naruto sighed, "I don't think I feel like going to your boyfriend's friend's party."

"Do you have a party with your friends?"

He shook his head, "Sakura's gonna be with her family. Kiba and Ino are gonna be with Kiba's family. Everyone's gonna be with their family."

Sasuke sighed. He knew that Naruto was still really sad about Tsunade, and it was understandable. They had been really close. He had lost his parents very young, so he had always spent Christmas with Jiraiya and Tsunade. Now they were both gone.

Sasuke happened to know what that felt like.

"What about Sai and Gaara?" he asked to change the subject.

Naruto shrugged, "I don't know. I think Sai finally understood the meaning of, leave me the fuck alone, because he doesn't talk to me anymore. Gaara doesn't really talk to me anymore either. You probably know about his plans better than I do."

"Now that you mention it," Sasuke said, "he actually invited me to go to his sister's party. But, you know, I said no cause I'm already going with Suigetsu…"

"Gaara is so falling for you, and if you didn't already know then you're an idiot."

"Shut up. He's still dating that guy... what's his name?"

"Tamika? Oh please," Naruto rolled his eyes, and walked towards his bedroom, "they have an open relationship. Which means they're just together while waiting for someone better to come by."

He ran his tan fingers through his still wet hair, messing it up in the process. Sasuke couldn't help but check out his tall and lean body, right until he closed the door. Such a fucking tease…

Sasuke turned his attention back on his computer. Instead of writing he decided to look for a place to live in Kyoto. His agent had suggested a few apartments and rooms near the studios where they would be shooting the movie, but none of them really interested him. It was hard to find the perfect place. He would be staying there for a few months, so he didn't want some crappy little room practically falling apart. He knew he was being difficult, but comfort was very important to him.

As for Naruto, he was so damn lazy sometimes. If Sasuke hadn't helped him, he wouldn't even be registered to live in the dorms of his new school yet. Now at least things were settled. Sasuke only hoped that Naruto's room would be comfortable and that he would have an okay roommate. He knew Naruto was more than capable of taking care of himself, but he couldn't help being worried. They had always been together.

In middle and high school they had been together practically everyday – even when Sasuke had been through really rough times, Naruto had been there for him – and now, they had been living together in this apartment for a couple years. It would be so different without him.

But he kept thinking, maybe this would be a good thing for the blond. Maybe he would be able to meet new people, experiment whatever he needed to experiment, and figure out some stuff… The thing was, Sasuke didn't want to be just an experiment to Naruto. If they had sex some day, he didn't want it to be just for the heck of it. He wanted it to be an act of love… And he knew he was being such an idiotic cheese ball but he didn't care.

An apartment caught his attention. It was small, but it seemed really nice and clean, and it was perfect for one person. Plus it was affordable, and close to the movie set; it seemed almost too good to be true.

Naruto walked out of his bedroom wearing his favourite casual clothes, dark blue jeans and black v-neck tee. He looked good. But he looked good in anything. He came to look over Sasuke's shoulder.

"Nice apartment," he said.

"It's available next month," Sasuke said thoughtfully, "the ad just came up on this site… I should hurry up and call them if I want it. Good deals like that get taken really fast…"

"It's really happening, huh?" Naruto said with a bitter smile, "You're really moving to Kyoto."

"Just for a few months," Sasuke reminded him.

Naruto made his way to the kitchen, probably to grab some disgusting frozen food. He always ate that. How he kept his figure was a mystery. He whispered something, Sasuke wasn't too sure what it was, but it sounded like, I'll miss you.

"I'll miss you too," Sasuke whispered, before grabbing his cell phone, and dialing the number for the apartment.

…

A week later, on Christmas Eve, Sasuke found himself trying to convince Naruto to come to the party.

"I'm not gonna let you stay here alone and be miserable!"

"Then stay with me," Naruto crossed his arms.

Sasuke sighed, and glared at him in annoyance. He was being so stubborn.

"I already promised Suigetsu I would go."

"You've been with him every single day for the past two months."

"We haven't even been together two months!"

They glared at each other. Sasuke was standing next to his bedroom, clad in a stylish thin black suit. It was still a casual look, because he wasn't wearing any tie, and he left the jacket open.

As for Naruto he was being childish. He was wearing sweat pants and eating his stupid frozen pizza while watching some series on the laptop. He wanted Sasuke to feel guilty about leaving him alone.

And it was working.

"Just go get dressed and come with me."

"I've got nothing to wear."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Who cares what you're wearing! Jeans and t-shirt is fine for all I care."

Naruto glared at him, "I'll look like a fucking idiot compared to you."

"I'll lend you something if you want."

The blond glanced away, hesitating. "…Like what?"

Sasuke went to look through his closet. He had just the perfect suit, if Naruto really wanted to look good.

Naruto looked up at him suspiciously when he walked out of his bedroom again.

"But you're shorter than me."

"Not that much. And those pants are a little too long for me anyway."

"You're skinnier."

"God damn it Naruto it's not like you're fat! If anything it'll look better on you than it would look on me! Now try it on!"

The blond got up slowly, and took the suit from him. He took off his sweat pants – he had boxers underneath – and then he put on the black pants and blue button down shirt. So far it fit perfectly well. Sasuke smiled.

His smile turned into a mocking one when Naruto tried, and failed, to make the tie knot properly.

"Let me do it for ya."

Resigned, Naruto tilted his head back a little and let Sasuke tie the thin black tie around his neck. Then all that was left was the black jacket to complete the outfit. The blue shirt really made his eyes stand out. He looked beyond handsome.

"And I'm supposed to wear my orange converse with this?" Naruto said.

Sasuke laughed, "Are those really the only shoes you have?"

"Yeah…"

"I'd lend you some but…"

"My feet are bigger."

"Yeah."

"So I'm not going then…" he took off the jacket.

"You're coming! Come on we're already late! Just wear it like this, without the jacket, looks more casual. Who cares about your damn orange shoes? You used to wear orange all the time when we were kids. Everyone was making fun of you but you didn't give a shit…"

"Heh," Naruto chuckled, "fine, fine, you can cut the speech…"

Sasuke decided to call a taxi because it was freezing and snowing, and he really didn't feel like waiting for a bus or walking all the way to Suigetsu's apartment. They were meeting him there with a few others of his friends for pre-cocktails, and then they were going to Saito's party to be fashionably late – Suigetsu's terms.

The taxi didn't take long to arrive, so about ten minutes later they were already at Suigetsu's place. The latter invited them in, all smiles, and kissed Sasuke on the lips. Then he helped him out of his coat. From the corner of his eye Sasuke saw that Naruto was rolling his eyes at them.

Suigetsu wore a fancy white suit with a violet button down shirt.

"You look good," Sasuke told him before kissing him again.

"So do you," Suigetsu smiled and placed his bangs behind his ears.

Sasuke shook his head slightly so that his hair would fall in his face again. Suigetsu chuckled.

"So Sasuke I think you know everyone already," Suigetsu motioned at his friends that were already there.

"Yeah," he lied. Maybe he knew them, but he didn't remember.

"Naruto I'll introduce you," Suigetsu said, looking at the blond for the first time. "Nice shoes."

"Thanks," Naruto said casually, making Sasuke smile.

"So everyone this is Naruto, my boyfriend's roommate. Naruto, this is Jugo," he pointed at the red-head guy, who had a beer in his hand.

With his free hand he shook Naruto's hand, "Nice to meet you."

Naruto said it back, and then he followed Suigetsu as he introduced the others. Sasuke pretty much forgot their names right away again. Except for that one crazy girl, unfortunately…

"Aren't ya the cutest little thing!" she exclaimed as she looked at Sasuke, "Suigetsu wasn't exaggerating after all! You really are so adorable!"

Her name was Karin, and apparently she was Jugo's and Suigetsu's friend from high school. And now here she was talking to Sasuke like he was some sort of lovely pet decorating Suigetsu's apartment.

"Why don't I make you a drink Sasuke!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

While the silver-haired guy proceeded to make some cocktail, Naruto was sulking.

"Maybe I want a drink too…"

"Oh you can have a beer," Jugo said, "they're mine."

"Thanks man," Naruto smiled, accepting the offer.

So Naruto and Sasuke respectively drank beer and cocktail while standing in the middle of Suigetsu's tiny apartment. Really, Sasuke had no idea why his boyfriend had felt like inviting his friends over for pre-cocktails. There was a grand total of two chairs. And there was the sofa bed, which was turned into a sofa for the occasion, but still…

"You're so cute!" a girly voice suddenly exclaimed.

Sasuke closed his eyes. He really didn't want to turn around. Maybe if he kept his eyes shut she would just disappear…

No, still there.

"Can I touch your hair?" she asked excitedly as she actually caressed his long raven locks without waiting for his answer anyway. "It's so soft!"

Sasuke was pondering murdering the annoying girl, when Naruto came to his rescue.

"Oh he doesn't like being pet like that. He's more the independent type. Actually I don't think he likes you, if you keep at it he might bite you."

Karin laughed, but at least she removed her hand.

"Sorry, guess your friend is right, I'm kinda treating you like a kitty, aren't I? But you're just so cute!"

Sasuke made a fake, polite smile and glanced away. He drank his cocktail all at once – which probably wasn't good since Suigetsu had made it really strong.

Unfortunately, Suigetsu continued talking with his other friends, and Jugo went to join him. So Karin stayed with Naruto and Sasuke. How nice.

"So you guys are best friends?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, taking a sip of his beer.

Karin nodded and replaced her glasses, "I usually have a really good gaydar, you know, since I'm mostly friends with gay men, but I can't figure you out," she told Naruto.

Sasuke actually laughed at that.

"What?" Karin asked.

"He can't figure himself out either so…"

"Really?" Karin smiled flirtatiously at Naruto, "So you're sort of bi then?"

"Sort of," Naruto shrugged.

"Interesting," she said.

"I'll let you two flirt with each other then," Sasuke said teasingly, and went to the kitchen.

He could almost feel Naruto's angry glare on the back of his head. He smiled to himself as he took some juice and liquor out of the fridge.

"Baby," Suigetsu's voice suddenly said behind him, "let me do it for you…"

Sasuke didn't protest, and he let his professional bartender boyfriend prepare the drink.

"You drank the first one pretty quickly," Suigetsu laughed.

"Your hum… friend Karin made me feel like I needed to be a little bit more intoxicated to appreciate this party…"

"She can be annoying," Suigetsu said apologetically.

Well that was kind of an understatement…

When he was finished he handed Sasuke the drink. The latter tasted it, and made a face.

"This is fucking strong, you want me to get drunk or something?"

Suigetsu tilted his head to the side, "Maybe. I've never seen you drunk."

"And sorry to disappoint you but it's not gonna happen. I never get drunk."

"That's impossible," Suigetsu smiled, and he reached out to place his hand on his ass, "you must be a lightweight when it comes to alcohol…"

"Maybe," Sasuke replied, "but I never drink a lot."

"Oh come on," Suigetsu brought his hand to his lower back, and pulled him a little closer, "getting drunk once in your life for Christmas isn't gonna kill ya…"

"I already told you," the raven said stubbornly, "not gonna happen."

Naruto suddenly walked towards them, glaring at Sasuke menacingly.

"You left me alone with that nympho bitch!"

Sasuke chuckled, and looked at the rest of the guests. "Where is she?"

"In the bathroom, thank God," Naruto sighed, and opened the fridge, "I need another beer."

"So can I add her to the list?" Sasuke asked him.

It was an inside joke between them. The list of people who wanted to get fucked by Naruto.

"Yes, fuck my life," Naruto said before drinking almost half of his beer at once.

Jugo also appeared in the kitchen, and he put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Hey, take it easy man."

Sasuke and Naruto ignored him.

"Let me guess," the raven smiled teasingly, "she wants to help you figure out your sexual orientation?"

"However did you guess!" Naruto exclaimed sarcastically.

Suigetsu and Jugo exchanged a glance. Clearly they weren't too sure what they were talking about. They seemed like they were about to ask, when Karin got out of the bathroom and joined them as well.

"I'm back!" she exclaimed, smiling at Naruto.

"Fantastic," he muttered.

"Suigetsu," she said, "can I have another one of those delicious drinks…"

For about half an hour this little party went on, with Karin annoying the hell out of Naruto, and Sasuke accepting maybe too many drinks from his boyfriend. He always told himself it was the last one, but then he accepted one more. Just one more, he thought, it wasn't a big deal.

But those were really fucking strong. He felt himself becoming light-headed.

They formed two groups because there were two people who had brought their cars. Jugo was one of those people. He had only drank two beers some time ago, so he was okay to drive, or so he said. Sasuke didn't really care. He ended up in the back seat, in between Suigetsu and Naruto. Karin was sitting in the passenger seat. The rest of Suigetsu's friends were in the other car.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked him at some point, "Your face is a little red…"

Suigetsu had his arm tightly around his shoulders, and he was pressed against him, but with his suit jacket and coat he felt a little uncomfortable.

"It's just… a little warm."

"Yo, give him a break," Naruto looked at Suigetsu, "he said he was too warm."

The blond took his other arm and pulled him on his side. Suigetsu glared at him but didn't protest. Naruto helped Sasuke get rid of his coat.

"There, better?"

"Yeah…"

"My little Sasuke's drunk," Naruto chuckled.

"Shut up."

Karin turned to look at them from the passenger seat. "You guys would make such a cute couple," she said, addressing Naruto and Sasuke.

Suigetsu frowned as he stared at her. "Remind me why I invited you again?"

"Cause… you love me?"

"Yeah, no," Suigetsu replied, making Jugo laugh.

Sasuke felt sleepy. He rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. Of course, Suigetsu was glaring at Naruto again. Of course the blond was smiling.

Later, at the actual party, which was held in an actual house with enough space for everyone, Sasuke continued drinking. He knew he shouldn't, but he did it anyway. He just liked the feeling. He wondered if this was how Naruto felt, every time he was drinking so much.

This party was actually really fun. But maybe he found it fun because he was drunk.

Suigetsu's friend Saito had really done things big. For starters, he was wearing some sort of flamboyant sparkly silver and black suit, and he had tons of necklaces and bracelets. He was probably trying to be shinier than the disco ball hanging on the ceiling.

That's right, there was a freaking disco ball. And there was also a dance floor, and even a bar counter. All this plus of course, beautiful people everywhere. Fancy party, fancy drink, fancy dressed people. Except for Naruto's orange converse shoes that is.

Karin didn't seem to care about Naruto's shoes, because she was clinging to him the whole time. And Saito was clinging to Suigetsu like his life depended on it. Sasuke was bored, and he wanted more drinks. So he found himself leaning on the bar counter and drinking shooters with a guy he didn't even know.

"Those are really good," the guy was saying, "they make you drunk really fast, and you don't get a hangover from it!"

"Cool," Sasuke said, and he drank a few more.

He couldn't really taste anything anymore.

"You probably get that all the time," the guy said as he leaned closer, "but you're really cute."

"Never been told that before in my life."

The guy laughed as if he had just told the funniest joke ever.

"You're funny."

Sasuke shrugged, "We should get some more of these shots…"

And then maybe he could go dance… the stupid dance music was really good. Maybe he could dance with Naruto. He should be dancing with Suigetsu but… he really wanted to dance with Naruto. They had never danced together before.

With the guy whose flirting was nowhere near subtle they drank some more shots.

"Wanna dance?" Sasuke asked afterwards.

"Yeah!" the guy answered enthusiastically. Of course he would.

Sasuke took off his suit jacket, which left him only in his white button down shirt, and put it on an unused chair. The other guy teasingly leaned closer to undo the first few buttons, revealing the flawless, pale skin of his chest. Then they went on the improvised dance floor.

The music changed, and now it was really intense, even sensual. The guy clearly wanted to dance with him, and he tried to, but Sasuke pushed him away. He wanted to dance with Naruto, or no one. Well, maybe Suigetsu, he was his boyfriend after all. Speaking of those two, where the hell were they?

The stubborn guy continued trying to dance with him. He placed his hands at his hips and tried to turn him around so that he could grind him. But Sasuke, annoyed, tried to push him away.

And then Naruto appeared out of nowhere. He slid his hand around Sasuke's waist to pull him into his arms.

"He's with me," the other guy protested.

Naruto smirked, "I don't think so."

They started dancing together, and Sasuke's breathing immediately picked up. Naruto was so hot, and he was a really good dancer. His lips were so close, his smile was so sexy…

The other guy admitted his defeat and backed off. Naruto pulled Sasuke even closer as they danced, and his lips got dangerously close…

"Guys what's up?"

It was Suigetsu's voice. He was trying to sound casual, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Sasuke got out of his daze, and pulled away from Naruto. He turned to smile at Suigetsu.

"Hey!"

"Drink?" Suigetsu offered, handing Sasuke his glass full of a red-colored cocktail.

"Thank you," Sasuke smiled.

"I think you've had enough…" Naruto started.

But Sasuke was already drinking it. All of it. And then he threw himself in Suigetsu's arms and kissed him passionately. Suigetsu kissed back more than willingly. And then they continued dancing together. Sasuke barely noticed the hurt in Naruto's blue eyes, as he walked away from them. He was so drunk at this point…

Suigetsu turned him around, with his arms around his skinny waist. His shirt was all messed up now, with most of it undone. Sasuke wasn't too sure how that had happened. But he didn't care. His hair was probably messy as hell too. But he smiled and continued dancing. He tilted his head back and Suigetsu kissed his neck.

But then eventually Suigetsu pulled away.

"I'm gonna go get another drink, you want one?"

"Okay," Sasuke nodded, too drunk to realize that he should actually stop getting even more drunk.

Suigetsu walked towards the bar counter, and Sasuke shrugged and continued dancing on his own for a while. The sparkly Saito suddenly made his appearance before him.

"You know, you're lucky to have Suigetsu."

"Uh… okay."

Sasuke laughed for no reason. Or maybe Saito made him laugh. His outfit and jewelry looked silly.

"Don't laugh in my face bitch. Not in my house."

This made Sasuke laugh even more. And then Saito pushed him, like, actually pushed him. Sasuke's balance was far from excellent in his state, so he fell on the cold, hard floor. Not exactly pleasant.

Suigetsu walked towards them, frowning.

"Babe are you okay?"

Saito grabbed Sasuke's arm and helped him up, and then he threw his arm around his shoulders and smiled at Suigetsu, acting as though they were best friends now.

"He's fine! Just a little bit too drunk I guess! But hey that's cool it's Christmas! You guys have fun okay?"

"What happened?" Suigetsu asked when Saito was gone.

"Nothing I just fell," Sasuke shrugged, "Hey you brought me a drink, thanks!"

"Are you sure…"

But Sasuke had already finished it completely. With Suigetsu they started dancing together again, passionately, and they were making out like crazy right there on the dance floor. He didn't know how long it lasted. He lost pretty much all notion of time passing by.

At some point Naruto took his arm and pulled him away from his boyfriend to talk to him.

"I'm gonna go…"

"Where?" Sasuke frowned.

"Home."

"No…" Sasuke protested. In an attempt to step closer to Naruto he almost fell. The blond held him up.

"Fuck you're so drunk…" he looked at Suigetsu, "you should take him home."

"I will," Suigetsu said, and he grabbed Sasuke's other arm to pull him close again.

It seemed he didn't have the intention of going home right away, because instead he grinded him as they started dancing again.

Naruto walked away, and Sasuke frowned as he looked at him. It didn't feel right to let him go just like that…

"I'll… be right back," he told Suigetsu, and then he ran after Naruto.

Well he half-stumbled towards the main entrance really, but in his drunken daze it felt as though he were running. He called Naruto's name, and caught up with him outside. They stood on the paved alley covered with snow, staring at each other. Sasuke was barely standing.

"You go have fun," Naruto said, "you'll freeze to death if you stay here."

He tried to walk away again, but Sasuke wrapped his arms around him almost desperately.

"Don't go…"

"Sasuke you don't want me here," he said bitterly, "you spent the whole evening dancing with Suigetsu while I just watched like an idiot…"

"But… tons of people must've been flirting with you," he looked up into sad blue eyes

"Who cares? I'm not interested in any of them."

Sasuke couldn't really feel the cold, but his body was shivering anyway. Naruto unzipped his jacket and took it off, only to put it on Sasuke. Then he pulled him close again, and held him tightly.

"You're gonna be so hangover tomorrow," he chuckled, "you drank… a lot."

"Are you gonna take care of me?" Sasuke whispered, as he buried his face in the crook of Naruto's neck.

He felt like he could fall asleep right there… If Naruto weren't holding him, he would probably just fall and pass out.

"What kind of question is that?" Naruto said softly, "Course I'll take care of ya."

"I wanna go home with you…"

"Okay…"

"But, I just need to tell Suigetsu."

"All right. I'll wait for you here," Naruto said.

Sasuke went back inside. He probably wasn't walking really straight, but he tried his best not to look too drunk. It probably wasn't working.

He searched for Suigetsu everywhere. He finally found him in the hallway, next to the bathroom. He was making out with Saito. They weren't just kissing. They were like, really making out.

It took some time for Sasuke's drunken brain to process the information. But when he did all he said was, "What the fuck…"

The two stopped what they were doing, and stared at him. Saito had somewhat of a triumphant smirk on his lips, but Suigetsu seemed shocked himself at the realization of what had just happened.

"Sasuke it's not what you think…"

"How do you figure that," Sasuke chuckled, and as he took a step back almost fell, but he caught himself on the wall, "I don't think I was hallucinating. I'm not on drugs Suigetsu, I'm just drunk. So save it."

He returned outside. He needed to return to Naruto. He was aware that it was hypocritical of him to be so angry at Suigetsu because he had kissed another guy. Sasuke had kissed Naruto quite a couple of times…

But he couldn't help it, he was angry. Suigetsu with all his sweet talk… Suigetsu with his constantly saying, I love you… yeah, right. Bullshit.

Naruto was still waiting for him outside, now on the sidewalk, just like he said he would. As Sasuke walked towards him, he felt someone grab his arm to stop him. It caused him to lose his balance and fall – again.

"Fuck," he cursed as he tried to get up.

Suigetsu helped him up. Of course, it was him who had followed him outside. Naruto had clearly seen the whole thing, and he came towards them as well.

"What the hell's going on?" Naruto asked angrily.

"Would you give me just a few seconds alone with him for once?" Suigetsu exclaimed.

But Sasuke took a step away from him, and fell right into Naruto's arms.

Suigetsu sighed, "Look, Saito kissed me, all right? It wasn't my fault."

"You were kissing back," Sasuke replied angrily, "I'm not an idiot."

"I'm not so sober myself okay!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

"Like that's an excuse!" Sasuke frowned.

Naruto held him tighter, as if to protect him from Suigetsu.

But Suigetsu only looked sad.

"I made one mistake. One. Okay, I kissed back. But I don't fucking care about Saito! He's just a prick who thinks he's more important than everyone else just cause he's rich! Sasuke you know I love you! And you… you never say it back! And I know you still have feelings for him!" he pointed at Naruto, "So what's the biggest betrayal, I wonder?" he finished sadly.

Sasuke swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say.

Naruto spoke for him, "He's really drunk right now. Honestly, I've never seen him like this. I think we should just go home. Seriously, I'm not being your enemy right now, I'm just saying, you guys should talk tomorrow."

Suigetsu wiped a tear in frustration, looked at Sasuke, then at Naruto, and finally he nodded.

"Just… take care of him."

"I will," Naruto reassured him.

He kept his arm tightly around Sasuke's waist and they walked towards the sidewalk.

"I called a taxi," Naruto said.

They hopped in the car, Sasuke with the help of Naruto. Once comfortably seated in the back, he pressed himself close to Naruto, and rested his head on his shoulder. This time he felt way, way too sleepy to even try to stay awake…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

That flirty guy at the bar counter had lied about the shooters not causing a hangover.

It was Sasuke's turn now to be throwing up in the toilet. It wasn't exactly something he was proud of. He was trembling badly and his whole body hurt. Naruto was holding his hair, and rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Go away," Sasuke muttered.

"I'm staying," Naruto replied stubbornly.

"I'm serious I wanna be alone…"

He pulled away from Naruto weakly and he leaned against the bath tub. Now he could see why his body was so sore; he had bruises everywhere. He was only wearing boxers because he had pretty much just gotten out of bed and ran to the bathroom. He had bruises all over his legs and arms. He hugged his knees and let out a shaky sigh.

"Thank God I already did my photo shoot for that underwear line last week… or my agent would've killed me…"

"You kept falling everywhere," Naruto sighed, "when we got here it got worst…"

"But wait…" Sasuke frowned, looking up at his best friend, "I fell asleep in the car…"

"Yeah, but when we got here you woke up and… You don't remember?"

The raven shook his head.

"Why am I not surprised?" Naruto said, "You were so drunk…"

"What happened?"

Naruto chuckled, "You were trying to use your laptop, but you couldn't even type in the password, I had to do it for you."

"You're kidding?" Sasuke whispered.

"Nope. And then you told me to put on some music and you started dancing with me. Then you pushed me on the couch and you… stripped for me."

"Please tell me you're kidding," he glanced away, feeling embarrassed and humiliated.

"Hey it's okay," Naruto chuckled softly, "don't worry about it. It was fun. The drunk you was fun. Until you started falling everywhere and hurting yourself… Then I tried to stop you, and to calm you down…"

"I'm never drinking again," Sasuke said firmly, "ever."

"Ah," Naruto laughed, "you remind me of when I had my first hangover. I promised myself I would never drink again."

"But you did it anyway?"

"Yeah the next weekend…"

Sasuke chuckled, "Wow…"

He suddenly paled, feeling very sick. He threw up in the toilet again. To his despair Naruto leaned closer and held his hair.

"Stop it…" he weakly tried to push the blond away.

"No."

After that he managed to get up with Naruto's help, and he rinsed his mouth.

"You're trembling," Naruto said worriedly, "I'll bring you something to wear."

He went to his bedroom, and came back with his big and warm orange zip up sweater. Sasuke actually smiled at the sight of this piece of clothing.

"You used to wear this all the time in high school…"

"It's comfy," Naruto shrugged.

"It's also fucking ugly," Sasuke replied, but he let Naruto put the sweater on him.

It was indeed really comforting to be wearing that. He sat on the cold floor and hugged himself again, this time clutching the sweater tightly.

"After… stripping and falling everywhere like an idiot did I… go to sleep or…?"

"It took me forever to get you to go to bed," Naruto sighed, "you hum… you wanted us to have sex."

Sasuke's dark eyes widened, "What?"

"You said that you were an idiot for refusing all this time, and that we should have sex."

"But…"

"Nothing happened," Naruto reassured him.

"Oh…"

"I wouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. If we end up having sex one day I don't want it to be because you're drunk. And I want you to freakin' remember it," he chuckled.

"Thanks…"

Naruto shrugged, "You don't have to thank me. Oh yeah and Suigetsu kept texting you to ask if you were okay, so I ended up texting him back not to worry. I kinda felt sorry for him."

"Why?" Sasuke muttered, "He kissed Saito. Probably would've fucked him too if I hadn't interrupted them."

"You don't know that," Naruto replied.

"Why are you defending him? I thought you hated him."

"I don't hate him," Naruto sighed, "I was just… jealous I guess. But he's not a bad guy. I can tell he really cares about you."

"Didn't stop him from kissing another guy…"

"Oh come on have you seen him? I'm sure he practically threw himself on Suigetsu like the nympho he is. Like Karin did with me…"

"Karin kissed you?"

"She tried…"

"Damn… what else happened to you at that party?"

"Nothing much… but I got like twenty phone numbers," he chuckled.

"Must've been the orange converse."

Naruto smiled, "Oh yeah, definitely."

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking care of me, and staying here even if I asked you to go…"

Naruto shifted closer and placed his arm around his shoulders.

"It's okay. I know what it feels like, believe me…"

Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned on Naruto. The latter caressed his hair softly.

"I think I'm gonna break up with Suigetsu…"

"Why?"

"Well I'm moving to Kyoto in like, a few days now… Long term relationships never really work."

"Is that the only reason?" Naruto asked softly.

"No…"

He didn't say more, and Naruto didn't push it. They stayed quiet for a little while, and Naruto continued caressing his hair absent mindedly.

At some point he said, "You have to tell him in person. Don't do it by text or by phone."

"Look who's talking," Sasuke chuckled, "you broke up by phone with Hinata, and by text with Ino."

"Hinata's father wouldn't let me come in their house," he said defensively, "and I didn't want to do it at school. And Ino! She…"

"Cheated on you with Kiba. I know."

"You know, I didn't want them to work out," Naruto said, "I guess I felt like it would be some sort of revenge if they just cheated on each other or something. But it's working out so far…"

"Yeah I give them two more weeks…"

Naruto laughed, "We'll see…"

"Hey I just remembered something…"

"What?"

"Did you know that Shikamaru was coming back for Christmas? He's probably with his family now but… Gaara told me that his sister wanted to organize a party for him. You know, with the old gang…"

"Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" Naruto exclaimed.

Sasuke pulled away slightly so he could look at him. "You said it yourself, you're not spending much time with your friends anymore…"

"Still, they should've told me."

"Maybe Shikamaru only told Gaara and his sister," Sasuke shrugged, "Temari, that's her name right?"

"Yeah… So when is it? I don't care if I'm not invited I'm going anyway. I miss Shikamaru a lot…"

"I know," Sasuke smiled, "that's why I'm telling you. It's on New Year's Eve I think. We should go together."

"Yeah," Naruto smiled back. "Hey Sasuke?"

"What?"

"You really should drink some water."

Yes, unfortunately for the raven, the roles really were reversed.

…

After being sick the whole day Sasuke felt a little better at least. He showered and put on some comfortable, non orange clean clothes, and he also followed his own advice – and Naruto's – and drank tons of water to rehydrate his body.

They spent the evening sitting on the couch and watching some boys love drama show on Sasuke's laptop. Naruto's Christmas meal choice was instant ramen.

"Why is there always a crazy hyperactive one and a really serious emo one?" Naruto asked, "It's stupid."

Sasuke laughed. The irony.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Never mind…"

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

Naruto smiled, "I wanna give you your present."

"All right…"

He hurried to his bedroom and came back with a sparkly red and green gift bag. The colour tissue paper coming out of it was all ripped off.

"I was trying to make it look pretty," Naruto said sheepishly, "but…"

Sasuke laughed and shook his head in disbelief. He opened the bag and first discarded the tissue paper. Then he picked up the first item – there seemed to be a bunch of random things in that bag.

"Longjing tea," he smiled.

"Your favourite, right?" Naruto shrugged.

"Why'd you get me tea?"

"You're moving to Kyoto!" the blond said defensively, "maybe you won't have time to buy some. So when you drink your tea you'll think about me."

"I will," Sasuke chuckled. So random.

"Just check out the rest…"

He picked up something else. It was a t-shirt with something written on it.

"Best friends," Sasuke read out loud, "They know how crazy you are but still choose to be seen with you in public."

"I thought about getting the one that said I love my best friend but… yeah this one is better and less corny," Naruto chuckled.

"And it's kinda true," Sasuke smiled, "I mean considering all those times you embarrassed me in public you crazy idiot."

"I... you'r exaggerating," the blond said defensively.

"What about all those times we went to your favourite ramen stand when we were kids, and you ordered like… a bajillion bowls. And then you couldn't even pay for it."

"That was ages ago."

"And what about when we're walking quietly in the street and you randomly decide to start yelling like crazy that we're going on an awesome adventure, believe it, or some other crap like that?"

"I haven't said that in years…"

"Or when you were still underage and always sneaking in sex shops…"

"All right, all right, I see your point."

Sasuke smiled at him fondly.

"Just check out the rest!"

"Yeah why'd you get me so much stuff anyway?"

He shrugged, "You're the only one I bought Christmas gifts to. Felt like spoiling you a little, since you're usually always the one spoiling me. I have the money Tsunade left me so…"

"It's supposed to be for school."

"Just… shut up and check out the rest already," Naruto said, annoyed.

"All right."

There were two things left. A notebook…

"If your laptop ever crashes you'll still be able to write," Naruto explained, making Sasuke chuckle. Again, random...

And a bracelet. It was a black and blue braided bracelet.

"Just like yours," Sasuke said, looking at Naruto's wrist.

Naruto almost always wore his. It was orange and blue. Of course. Sasuke smiled as Naruto put the bracelet around his wrist.

"It'll remind you of me."

"I don't need anything to be reminded of you," Sasuke said softly, "but thank you. I only have one for you…"

"That's okay," Naruto smiled excitedly, "what is it?"

"Well isn't it supposed to be a surprise? Isn't that the whole point of wrapping it up?"

"Then hurry up and go get it!" Naruto slapped his ass as he got up.

Sasuke made a little pained noise.

"Sorry," Naruto chuckled.

"Guess I have a bruise there too…"

"Poor baby. Want me to kiss it better?"

"Shut up."

He went to his bedroom to get Naruto's present. Once he had started thinking about it, it had been really easy to find what to offer him. Actually he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before.

"It's so pretty," Naruto said half-teasing, as Sasuke came back and handed him the nicely and neatly wrapped box. "It's really heavy too…" He chuckled, "I feel like a kid. Maybe I could shake it to try to guess what it is…"

"Please," Sasuke frowned, "don't do that."

"All right," Naruto laughed.

He tore the gift paper, revealing the box underneath. And then his blue eyes widened in shock. He looked up. Sasuke was smiling.

"You… crazy bastard you… got me… a freaking laptop?"

"Yeah," Sasuke shrugged.

"But that's expensive!"

"You'll need one," the raven said as he sat beside Naruto. "How else are you gonna do your homework?"

"The library," Naruto said.

"I've been to school with you my whole life and I've never seen you step foot in a library."

"Yeah but…" the blond looked down at the box in his hands in disbelief.

"And how else am I gonna keep in touch with you? You've got to have access to a computer."

"There's always the phone…" Naruto argued.

"You never answer your damn phone."

"That's cause I'm always out of minutes."

"I think I've made my point."

"But it's so expensive…"

"Will you stop worrying about that?"

Naruto glanced at him sideways, "You got a nice paycheck for your underwear campaign?" he said half-teasing.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did."

"I'd like to see it."

"What?"

Naruto shrugged, and smiled, "The picture for the add."

"I'll be sure to tell my agent to send you a copy."

"Great. I'll be sure to jerk off to it."

"What the fuck!"

"Oh come on!" Naruto laughed, and he started opening the carton box. "I'm sure I'm not the only one…"

"Gaara actually told me he jerked off to a picture of me once."

"Very subtle flirting…"

"I know."

They both laughed, and Sasuke helped Naruto sort out the different items that came with the laptop. Since Naruto was a bit of a technology retard, Sasuke proceeded to set up his new laptop for him. They continued talking while he was doing this.

"It's kinda really cool that you bought me this actually," Naruto was saying, "and we'll be able to have webcam conversations."

"You scared me for a moment there I thought you were gonna say webcam sex."

"The thought crossed my mind," Naruto admitted, laughing.

"I think we should just stick to webcam conversations."

"We can have conversations naked."

"Naruto."

"What?"

"You're gonna have a roommate. I don't think he'll like it if you're naked on your bed."

"Who knows? He might like it."

"Idiot."

Naruto surprised him by suddenly wrapping his arms around him, and holding him really tightly. Sasuke slowly raised his arms and held him back.

"Thank you," Naruto whispered in his ear, "what would I do without you?"

"Sell your body for money and drugs?"

"Probably…"

"I was kidding."

Naruto chuckled and pulled away slightly, turning his head to look into his eyes. He lifted his hand to place his hair behind his ear.

"I know it's silly but… I'm glad you're here with me for Christmas."

Before Sasuke could think of a reply Naruto was kissing him. It felt so good… Sasuke battled with Naruto's tongue playfully, and then the latter bit him slightly. Sasuke moaned through the kiss, and wrapped his arms around the other's neck to deepen the kiss.

Naruto slowly pushed him on the couch, and climbed on top of him. He ran his hands all over his body while he continued kissing his lips roughly. At some point he bit his bottom lip, only to kiss it softly once more.

"You really do like it when I do this," Naruto chuckled quietly, before attacking his lips again – literally.

"Yeah…" Sasuke breathed.

Their bodies pressed against each other like this was such a turn on. Sasuke didn't know if he could resist this time…

But actually the one to pull away from their embrace was Naruto. He was breathing hard, and he seemed just as turned on as Sasuke, and yet he sat as far as possible from him on the couch. He ran his fingers through his messy hair and cleared his throat slightly.

"Sorry… I got carried away."

"Don't… apologize I mean it's not like I didn't like it."

Naruto glanced at him sideways, and smiled, "Anyway, when can I use my computer?"

Sasuke chuckled, and started working on the laptop again, "So demanding…"

…

The next day, Sasuke worked up his courage and made his way to Suigetsu's place with determination. He was his first boyfriend. And now he needed to go through his first break up. He had never thought it would be so hard. Even though he was the one breaking up, it still hurt.

Suigetsu's gorgeous smile as he greeted him made it all the more difficult.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You must've been pretty hangover yesterday huh? I wish I could've visited you, but I was working at the stupid restaurant, honestly why is it even open on Christmas? It sucks…"

"Yeah…"

"Come here," Suigetsu pulled him into a hug.

Sasuke returned the hug only half-heartedly, but Suigetsu didn't seem to notice.

When he pulled away Sasuke took off his coat, and Suigetsu looked at his wrist.

"What's with the bracelet?"

"Oh," Sasuke shrugged, "just a present from a friend…"

"Naruto?"

After all he pretty much only had one friend… It wasn't too hard for Suigetsu to make a lucky guess.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "he just wanted me to think about him while I was gone in Kyoto."

"It's not that far, really," Suigetsu smiled, "I'm sure he'll visit you often enough."

They went to sit on the bed, and Sasuke couldn't find it in him to return his smile.

"I don't think so… he'll be at school so…"

"Well don't be so depressed! I'll visit you all the time, I promise," he said.

He glanced away. Suigetsu was misinterpreting his sad feelings…

"Well, I think it's more than time I give you your present!"

Sasuke's heart sank. Why did he have to break up with him on freaking Christmas… It made things even harder.

He forced a little smile as Suigetsu brought him a large gift bag. Just like Naruto's. Except the tissue paper wasn't torn up.

Inside there were… things from a sex shop, actually. Some sort of bondage kit. A blindfold, handcuffs, the whole deal. Sasuke's eyes widened as he looked up at Suigetsu. This was so unlike him.

The silver-haired guy laughed nervously, "It's just… all those times in bed, I noticed you liked it when I… sort of hurt you a little and… I figured maybe you were into that kinda stuff…"

"Oh…"

"You don't like it?"

"No that's not it," Sasuke reassured him, "I guess I'm just… surprised."

"Well I'm not into that kinda stuff myself," Suigetsu admitted, "but I wanna do anything I can to please you…"

"You shouldn't have to…"

"I want to," Suigetsu insisted.

Sasuke sighed. He also had something for him. It was kind of lame though. He had bought something because he had felt forced to buy something. Because it was Christmas. Conformism.

He walked back next to the door where he had left his coat, as well as the plastic bag with the present in it. He handed it to Suigetsu, who was smiling excitedly.

"You didn't have to."

Sasuke shrugged, "It's lame…"

Suigetsu opened it. Sasuke glanced away, biting his bottom lip slightly.

"You got me a cocktail shaker?" Suigetsu chuckled.

"You said yours was broken…"

"Yeah, no, yeah, that's very thoughtful."

He burst out laughing at Sasuke's expression. Again he was misinterpreting…

"I love it. But, why don't we try… your gift?"

He pushed him on the bed and started kissing him. But Sasuke really wasn't into it, and Suigetsu noticed – finally.

"Okay what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"We need to talk…"

Suigetsu frowned and moved away from him, "You've got to be fucking kidding me," he muttered.

Sasuke made a note to self to never use those four words again before breaking up.

"I don't think I can do this…"

After a moment of silence Suigetsu let out a heavy sigh, "You really don't love me at all do you?"

"That's… that's not it… I mean, I'm gonna live in Kyoto and…"

"I already said I was going to visit you all the time!"

"Suigetsu, you've got two jobs… you work all the time."

"That's not true," he said angrily, "I took a lot of days off so that I could spend more time with you and you know it."

The raven looked down. He felt so sad but… he had to do this.

"Suigetsu…"

"Look, if this is about me kissing Saito, I already told you…"

"It's not," Sasuke interrupted him, still averting his eyes, "actually it was hypocritical of me to be mad at you for that."

"…Why?" Suigetsu whispered.

Sasuke's heart sank. Why was this so hard? A tear rolled down his eye, and he glanced at Suigetsu behind his long bangs. This time Suigetsu didn't reach out to brush them out of his eyes.

"Because I kissed Naruto."

"…You cheated on me."

"We kissed. That's it. But if you consider that cheating, I'd understand…"

"Were you trying," Suigetsu chuckled bitterly, "were you trying to help him figure out his orientation, too?"

"Suigetsu, please…"

"Just… don't. Just get out."

Sasuke didn't need to be told twice. He picked up his coat and stormed out of Suigetsu's apartment. He realized he would probably never come back here again, and it made him sad. He would've loved to have Suigetsu as a friend. But he wasn't dumb enough to actually ask Suigetsu if they could still be friends… He already knew the answer.

…

The next few days were pretty much calm and relaxed for Sasuke. If you could call spending time with Naruto calm and relaxed – which you couldn't, really, but oh well. They went shopping together to get a present for Shikamaru, and also decent black shoes for Naruto (Sasuke insisted).

They couldn't really decide what to buy for their old friend. Naruto ended up choosing a really silly gift. It was some sort of samurai umbrella.

"He lives in London," Naruto argued at the mall, "it's always raining there! And this is so cool," he said as he played with it, "I've always wanted one of those."

Naruto was so childish sometimes. As he was playing with the samurai umbrella thing Sasuke took off his jacket to reveal his new t-shirt; the one that Naruto had bought him. It made the blond laugh, and at least after that he stopped being crazy. Until they got to the ramen restaurant, that is. But it was okay. That was how Sasuke loved him, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

On New Year's Eve Naruto was beyond excited. He claimed that he had tons of things to tell Shikamaru. Temari's party started at 8 pm, and it was only 5 pm but Naruto was already ready to go. He wore the same suit he had for the Christmas party – with his new black shoes though.

Naruto was playing some online game on his new laptop to pass the time, and Sasuke was cooking some rice and vegetables in the kitchen, when they heard someone knocking at their door.

"There's too much stuff happening," Naruto exclaimed, talking about his game, "I can't go!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and went to open the door. It was Suigetsu. He had a box in his hands with, Sasuke guessed, his stuff that he had left at his apartment.

"Oh, hey."

"Hey… I wanted to bring your stuff."

"Yeah, sure, thanks," Sasuke took the box and put it on the floor.

"And also," Suigetsu hesitated. He glanced at Naruto, who was being suddenly very quiet, and then back at Sasuke. "I wanted to say I'm sorry for the way I reacted. I mean, to tell you the truth I saw it coming… but… it was still hard."

"Yeah, I understand," Sasuke said sincerely.

"Do you think we could still be friends?" Suigetsu made a little smile.

Sasuke smiled back, surprised, "Yeah I'd like that."

Suigetsu's smile widened and he gave him a friendly hug, before leaving. Sasuke just stood still for a moment, still unsure this had really happened.

Naruto confirmed it for him when he said, "Guess he's a really cool guy after all."

Then he came to stand next to him, and he closed the door. Apparently there wasn't too much stuff happening in his game anymore. After that he sat on the floor and started rummaging through the box containing Sasuke's things.

"That or he wants to try to get back with you," Naruto added.

Sasuke frowned, "I don't think so…"

"Yeah well you're oblivious sometimes."

"Look who's talking…"

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm not oblivious."

"When we were in high school and Hinata told you that she loved you, you still didn't realize she actually wanted to be with you. Kiba had to slap you across the face and tell you to kiss her already."

"That was a long time ago," Naruto argued, "hey what's… what's this?"

He had found the bondage kit. Sasuke blushed and took the handcuffs from him, putting them back in the box. Then, while Naruto was laughing his ass off, he brought the box safely to his bedroom.

"I didn't think Suigetsu was the type…"

"Shut up," Sasuke said.

He hurried to the kitchen to see if he could save his food. Naruto followed him, still smiling widely.

"So he was tying you up and everything?"

"No!" the raven exclaimed, "We never actually used those things. He bought me those for Christmas…"

"And then you broke up with him? Man that's harsh."

"Shut up…"

"Is it ready soon? I'm starving…"

Sasuke stared at him, "You're actually gonna eat my vegetarian cooking?"

Naruto shrugged, "I'm out of instant ramen and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store."

"Because you were playing some lame online game…"

"League of legends isn't lame!"

"Whatever you say…"

At least the food wasn't burned so it was actually edible. They sat on the couch to eat while Naruto watched some live streaming of his new favourite game. Sasuke was bored out of his mind. Naruto was trying to explain it to him but really, he couldn't care less. He was in a good mood though. He was glad that Suigetsu had decided to make up with him.

After dinner Sasuke washed the dishes – without Naruto's help as always – and then he went in his bedroom to get changed into black skinny jeans, a matching tank top, and a grey military style button down shirt. He also took the time to replace the things Suigetsu had brought back. They were mostly just clothes that he had forgotten at his place, and also a book that he had lend to him – which Suigetsu hadn't read anyway because he hated reading. Come to think of it, they really didn't have much in common.

"You look good," Naruto checked him out appreciatively when he walked out of his room. "But now I looked too dressed up compared to you."

Sasuke shrugged, "Just don't wear the tie and jacket."

"Yeah good idea."

"Don't forget the present," Sasuke added.

"…I kinda don't know how to wrap it…"

The raven chuckled and shook his head in disbelief, "Your fault for buying a stupid umbrella."

Naruto tried to wrap it up with gift paper but it just wasn't working. Sasuke took pity of him and decided to help. When he was done the wrapping was okay, but it still looked kind of silly and of course the shape of it made it easy to guess what it was.

"Whatever let's just go," Naruto chuckled.

They took the bus to get to the Sabaku siblings' residence. Technically they lived with their father, but the latter also owned a place in New York and he pretty much always stayed there because of his work. This was what Gaara had told Sasuke anyway. But evidently this family was very rich, because the house was beautiful and huge.

Naruto practically ran to the front door and knocked over-excitedly. Sasuke followed more slowly behind.

Temari opened the door for them.

"Hey Naruto! Sasuke! It's so good to see you! Come in!"

How could she remember their names when they had pretty much only seen her once and hadn't spoken in years? People with such good memory would always puzzle Sasuke.

"How are you Temari?" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, and without waiting for her answer nodded in Gaara's direction, "What's up Gaara? So, where's Shikamaru?"

Sasuke laughed at Naruto's antics. Temari smiled.

"Let me grab your coats. Shikamaru's in the living room with Kankuro. You guys are the first ones to get here."

"Guess we're not fashionably late," Sasuke told Naruto in a low voice.

"Your ex-boyfriend wouldn't be proud of us," Naruto replied teasingly.

Then he hurried towards the living room. Gaara, Sasuke and Temari followed him. They watched as Naruto threw himself in Shikamaru's arms.

"It's been so long! How are you?"

"I'm good, you? God it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too!" Naruto smiled as they pulled away. "I've got something for you! Late Christmas gift."

"Naruto you really didn't have to…"

"Actually it's from Sasuke and me…"

Shikamaru followed Naruto's stare and smiled. "Hi Sasuke, it's been a while."

Sasuke stepped closer and shook his hand. "Yeah," he said simply.

Shikamaru turned his attention to Naruto, and he laughed when he saw the not very subtle gift.

"An umbrella. Wow."

"Open it," Naruto said.

Shikamaru did as he was told, and said, "It's kind of perfect actually. Mine broke like a month ago… Oh my God this is so funny. I like it."

"You do?" Naruto smiled.

"Yeah," he smiled back, "when I use it I'll think about you, and it'll remind me of when we were kids and always watching those ninja movies…"

"Those were good times."

"So!" Kankuro exclaimed, "who wants a drink to celebrate Shikamaru's visit?"

"I do!" Naruto slapped Shikamaru's back in a friendly way.

After a few minutes, they all sat together in a circle in the beautifully decorated living room. Sasuke was sitting with Gaara on one of the couches, and Naruto was sitting with Shikamaru in another, in front of them. Temari and Kankuro had taken place on some sofa lounge chairs.

They were all drinking wine, even Sasuke, although he promised himself he would only have one glass.

"So how's London?" Naruto asked Shikamaru excitedly.

"Sorry in advance," Shikamaru chuckled, looking at the three siblings, "to bore you with stuff that I already said but…"

"It's okay," Temari smiled, "you're not boring us."

"Speak for yourself," Gaara said teasingly.

"Well I wanna know," Naruto shrugged, "so…"

"London is great," Shikamaru answered, "the architecture is amazing, it's a beautiful city, even though it's true that the weather isn't that great. Let's just say most of the time you can't sit in the grass and watch the clouds."

"Don't tell me you actually still do that sometimes," Temari laughed, crossing her legs and taking a sip of wine.

"Sometimes," Shikamaru smiled at her, "it's a very relaxing activity, you know? It's underrated."

"How's the physics program?" Sasuke inquired.

"It's great," the brunet answered, "but troublesome, I must say… At my level, I have to do so many assignments, and write so many reports all the time… It's a lot of work. Thankfully I won a scholarship so I don't need to work part time."

"I always knew you were a genius," Naruto told him sincerely.

"Everyone knew that," Sasuke said, "who else could sleep in all their classes and still get straight As all the time?"

"If I'm not mistaken," Shikamaru frowned slightly, "you and Gaara were my biggest competition. You both had really good grades."

"Gaara's a genius too," Kankuro said proudly, "he already has a really promising career as a lawyer."

"You're exaggerating," Gaara told him.

"Don't be modest now," Temari teased him.

"I'm not being modest," the younger of the siblings shrugged, "I'm just saying he's exaggerating."

"What about you Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, "Didn't you want to go into mathematics or physics as well?"

"That… didn't work out."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He didn't really like talking about those things. His older brother would've had a promising future if it hadn't been from that underground organization getting him involved in their shit… Their parents had always encouraged the both of them to seek brilliant university careers in science.

But with the death of his family, and all the horrible things he'd been through, Sasuke had lost his motivation. Sure he had graduated high school brilliantly, but he hadn't continued after that. With no one to push him in a direction or another, he had been confused as to what to do with his life, kind of like Naruto.

But then Shisaki had discovered him. That was his agent. He had struck Sasuke as a very smart and charming man, in his early thirties. He was a little bit obsessed with money, but weren't all celebrity agents obsessed with money? That was when he had become a model. It had sort of just happened…

Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Gaara and Naruto decided to answer for him.

"Some people are extremely smart, like Sasuke, but decide science is not for them," Gaara said.

"He's kinda becoming a super star now though," Naruto added proudly.

"Not to mention he's a great writer," Gaara informed.

"And he's gonna play in a movie!" the blond exclaimed.

Sasuke scratched his hair, feeling embarrassed to be the center of attention.

"Guys," Shikamaru chuckled, "let him speak for himself."

"Well I think they pretty much said it all," Sasuke shrugged.

He was saved from all this attention by the arrival of one of the guests. It was Chouji, also an old friend from high school, and Shikamaru's best friend if Sasuke wasn't mistaken.

Indeed the two men seemed really close as they hugged each other.

"I missed you Shika!" Chouji exclaimed.

"Missed you too Chouji," the other replied.

"Do you guys have some food, I'm really hungry!"

Naruto chuckled, "Some things never change."

After that the other guests arrived, one after the other; Kiba and Ino, Sakura, Hinata and also a couple others of Shikamaru's old friends that Sasuke barely knew. Drinks were flowing, but Sasuke stuck to his promise to himself to have only one glass of wine.

As everyone talked together excitedly, reminiscing old memories, and asking Shikamaru about his life in London, Sasuke was kind of bored. Naruto didn't constantly accuse him of being antisocial for nothing…

He was happy for the blond though, and he smiled fondly as he watched him absorb every word spoken by Shikamaru. He knew those two had been really close once, and he was glad that Naruto had the chance to see him again.

Gaara also looked bored.

"Do you want a tour of the house?" he offered.

Sasuke shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Naruto sent him a glance as he got up and started walking down the hallway with Gaara, but Sasuke ignored it. So what if he was being antisocial? The blond shouldn't be surprised, it was no newsflash.

The red-head didn't end up giving him a tour of the house. Instead he brought him directly to his bedroom, which made Sasuke laugh.

"I decided to skip some parts," Gaara said.

"Uh-huh…"

He looked around his bedroom. It was big, that was for sure, and dark too. It reminded Sasuke a little of his own bedroom. The curtains were dark red, matching the bed and pillows. As if the huge bed wasn't enough, there was also a pretty large couch in the room. There were dark abstract paintings on the walls. Sasuke didn't know much when it came to art, so he didn't comment on those. Instead he took a look at Gaara's stereo sound system and his collection of music records.

It looked like they had something in common other than writing. They seemed to have pretty much the same taste in music.

"You can put something if you want," Gaara suggested.

Sasuke chose one of his favourite records from a Japanese hard rock band that he really liked. They listened to it together, and Sasuke smiled.

"So much better than laptop speakers."

"Isn't it?" Gaara smiled back.

Sasuke also took a look at his collection of books. There, their tastes were different. Gaara really liked fantasy, and science fiction. Sasuke preferred action and romance, although it was true that his latest story could be categorized as fantasy.

"You can borrow anything you want," Gaara said as he sat in his computer chair.

Sasuke shook his head, "Nah… you wouldn't get it back in a while since I'm moving to Kyoto…"

"I'll miss you," the red-head said, "but hey you'll continue writing to me everyday?"

Sasuke smiled. It was true, they were writing to each other pretty much everyday lately. At first it had just been to seek advice concerning their stories, and their writing, but then it had changed. They were pretty much writing about their every thought. It was comforting to have such a relationship with someone.

"Of course," he said.

"So when are you going?"

"In two days," Sasuke said.

Gaara stood up, and stepped closer. Sasuke swallowed hard. He always had trouble being really near people. It made him feel nervous. Gaara's pale green eyes encircled with black were really intense, almost entrancing…

"Do I get a goodbye kiss?"

The raven held his breath. He didn't answer, but he could feel himself being drawn to Gaara, and he decided not to resist it...

Gaara kissed him and Sasuke was shocked by his intensity. It was almost too aggressive, and it was strange since it was their first kiss. He hadn't expected it.

"Sorry," the red-head smirked as he pulled away, "it's just that… I've been wanting to do this for a while…"

"It's okay…" Sasuke breathed.

Gaara looked into his eyes, then at his lips again, and sure enough they found themselves making out passionately once more. They simply couldn't stop.

But something felt wrong. The texture of his hair felt strange, his body felt strange, and there was a very simple explanation for that; Gaara wasn't Naruto. After the whole Suigetsu thing, Sasuke felt like he wanted to wait for Naruto. He didn't want anyone else.

So he pulled away from Gaara's hold softly. But he was shocked again at the red-head's aggressiveness. He didn't let him go that easily. He tightened his hold around him and crashed their lips together again. He tugged at his hair, and it kind of hurt… Sasuke frowned, and tried to push him away again.

Gaara chuckled and pushed him on the bed roughly. He climbed on top of him and pinned his wrists above his head.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sasuke asked, trying not to sound panicked.

"Don't tell me you don't like it…"

"Look, just stop, I'm serious…"

Gaara pulled away slightly, and looked into his eyes. He seemed to finally understand that he was indeed serious, and he pulled away completely.

Sasuke crawled away from him, sitting cross-legged on the bed and rubbing his painful wrists.

"I'm sorry. It seems I misunderstood you."

The raven frowned, tilting his head to the side slightly, "What do you mean?"

"I thought you wanted this, but you don't," Gaara said simply, "not now anyway. Don't worry I'm not gonna do something like this again unless you ask me to."

"What makes you think I'll ask you to?"

He smirked, "Intuition."

"Uh-huh…" Sasuke raised a brow, "Anyway, we should go back to the others."

He got up and walked towards the door. Gaara took his arm though.

"Don't be scared," he chuckled.

He simply sleeked out his hair and his clothes a little, which Sasuke had to admit it wasn't a bad idea.

They returned to the party after that. Naruto sent Sasuke a suspicious glance, but he didn't say anything. Sasuke knew he would hear about it later though…

And he was right.

Much later, in the bus on their way back home, Naruto interrogated him.

"What were you doing with Gaara?"

"Nothing."

"You guys disappeared for like, half an hour…"

"We just listened to music and talked about… books."

"Sasuke."

"What?"

"Look at me."

The raven sighed, and turned to look into those deep blue eyes. Deep blue accusing eyes at the moment.

"Stop lying to me."

"I'm not lying."

"Sasuke."

"What?"

"I said, stop lying to me."

"We kissed," he finally blurted out. "We made out. That's it. I stopped him before it could go further."

"Was that so hard?"

"Why do you wanna know anyway?" Sasuke asked, annoyed.

"You know exactly why I want to know. We always tell each other everything."

"Well now you know I made out with Gaara. Your life must be changed forever." He said sarcastically.

Naruto chuckled and looked out the window. There was a long moment of silence, and Sasuke felt kind of sleepy. He rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. It had become familiar to do this now.

"Promise me we'll always be honest to each other," Naruto said quietly. "Even if we don't live together."

"I promise," Sasuke said without hesitating.

"Good," the blond smiled, and put his arm around his shoulders so that he could lean against him more comfortably.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: After I started writing this story I realized that I was stupid because school year starts in April in Japan (where I live you can start college or uni in January... but yeah) my story doesn't make sense lol sorry about that. While I'm at it - thanks so much for the reviews, I really love reading them^^

Chapter 9

It felt strange for Naruto to be back in a dorm room. But at the same time it felt nice. He wanted this to be the first step in getting his life back together. He actually got a lot done on his very first day on the college campus.

As he visited a small coffee shop he asked them if they were hiring, and they were. They actually gave him the job since he had some experience already. He was starting the next day.

This put him in a good mood as he continued exploring his surroundings. It was very cold outside though so he decided to stay inside and discover the different buildings where he would be studying. Yes, it felt very weird to be back at school. It felt so right though. If everything went well, he would be able to stop working in places like coffee shops and grocery stores.

Sure he was a little bit nervous about what was coming up the next day. He had his first classes, plus his first work shift in the evening. But he was confident he could do it.

In the late afternoon he returned to his dorm room. His roommate still wasn't there. He shrugged and started unpacking his stuff. He had a lot of things, actually. It was crazy how much crap he had accumulated during the two years he had lived at the apartment with Sasuke. He sighed; he would miss it, living there with him. They'd had some good times. But it was true that it had been pretty confusing recently. Maybe Sasuke was right, and spending some time apart would actually help their relationship, in a way.

But Naruto missed him already. So many things he had brought with him reminded him of Sasuke. His new laptop, of course, as well as some of his clothes that he had bought while hanging out at the mall with Sasuke.

He managed to unpack everything while keeping it all on his side of the room. Proud of his good work (even though it was somewhat messy already) he sat on the single bed and opened up his laptop.

The first thing he did was check his emails. He smiled when he saw that he had one from Sasuke.

_Hey Naruto, _

_I hope you like your room, and I hope your roommate is cool. It feels weird living on my own again. It reminds me of the few years I spent alone after what happened to my family. Living with you was definitely better. But I'll be fine, I just need to get used to it. _

_Anyway, we start filming the movie after tomorrow, so I don't think I'll have too much time to get bored or lonely. I've been walking a lot lately. Kyoto is great, it's so different than Tokyo. In some places I feel like I'm in some old traditional movie. I really like it. I hope you can come visit me some time. _

_So don't forget to tell me all about your classes, your teachers, and everything. _

_I miss you already,_

_Sasuke_

Naruto smiled as he read the message a second time. Sasuke had changed so much since that time he had mentioned, after the death of his family. It had taken him some time to feel alive again. Naruto knew that he had been a great help. It was one of the reasons why he wanted to pursue a career in social work. He wanted to help people who like Sasuke, had lived through some pretty rough times and needed help to learn how to live again.

He jumped slightly and looked up when the door opened. It looked like his roommate had finally showed up. Naruto got up and smiled at him, before introducing himself.

The guy put his luggage down on his side of the room, and stepped towards him. He smiled back and raised his hand.

"Nice to meet you Naruto, I'm Fukami."

"Nice to meet you," he said back.

"So you're beginning classes this semester too?"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "in social work. I'm a little nervous."

"I'm in music program. To be honest I'm also nervous. I was late today which kinda sucks," he chuckled and glanced out the window, "didn't really have time to visit or anything."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Naruto tried to reassure him.

"Thanks! Well… I'd better unpack."

Naruto returned to his bed. Well, at least the guy seemed nice enough. He looked really young, but Naruto thought it would be weird if he asked to know his age. He had mid-length brown hair with blond highlights, and hazel eyes. He had some ear piercings, and he wore tight jeans and a striped grey and white t-shirt under his black jacket. He had a cool style.

He couldn't help but notice that he had a guitar case among his things.

"Do you also play other instruments?"

"Oh," Fukami chuckled, "not really, mostly guitar. And don't worry, I won't bother you when you're here."

"Oh no," Naruto said quickly, "you can play whenever you want no problem! I always wanted to play myself."

"I could teach you if you want!"

"That'd be great."

A smile lingered on Naruto's lips as he started typing his reply to Sasuke.

…

_Hey Sasuke what's up!_

_My room's a little small, but it's fine. We have public bathrooms though, that's gonna take some getting used to. My roommate seems like a really cool guy. He's in the music program, and he plays guitar, which is awesome, he even told me he was gonna teach me! I start classes tomorrow, so I'll be sure to tell you all about it. And you tell me all about your movie star experience all right? I miss you too._

_Naruto_

Sasuke smiled. Those last words made him feel good. He really hoped they would continue writing to each other. It sure wasn't the same as actually seeing each other everyday, but it was the next best thing.

He moved on to Gaara's email.

_I don't like your ending._

Sasuke chuckled and glanced away. Gaara was so damn straight forward sometimes… He kept on reading.

_It's too romantic for me. I wanted more gore, more blood, and more people dying. But I guess that's just me. Anyway, what did you think about the last chapter I sent you? I hope the torture scene didn't scar you for life._

_Moving on… I wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened at my house at New Year's Eve party. I don't apologize very often. I believe I only do what feels right. But I got to admit I went a little too far. You weren't ready. But you will be. I'll be waiting. _

And that was it. The email ended like that. Sasuke ran his fingers through his hair as he leaned back in his seat. Gaara was kind of a fucked up guy. But that was okay. Sasuke was getting used to it. He wrote his reply right away since he had nothing better to do.

_Hello Gaara,_

_I have a question for you. Whatever happened to being gentle when criticizing my story? But it's okay I forgive you. I'm just going to say one thing; I was writing a love story, so there's got to be at least some romance. _

_I did read your chapter. It's really interesting. The torture scene was pretty fucked up but no, it didn't scar me for life. Who do you take me for? I wasn't too sure at first but now I'm getting addicted to your story. I can't wait to read the rest. _

_You didn't have to apologize for what happened at the party, honestly, but thanks for doing it anyway. The only thing that matters is that you stopped when I told you to. _

_Looking forward to your next email,_

_Take care_

_Sasuke_

He pressed send, and then he wondered if he should have commented about the last part of Gaara's email. The part about him not being ready and Gaara waiting for him. It was kind of weird. He supposed it was better not to comment on it further.

He was a little pissed at Gaara for saying that he didn't like his ending. He wondered if he should send his now complete story to Naruto. Maybe he would like it.

As for what he had told Gaara about his fucked up werewolf story, it was true. He really did like it at this point. He was curious as to what would happen to one of the characters, the youngest werewolf in the pack. He was really vulnerable because his powers had not completely developed yet. The enemies had captured him and tortured him for information, but he had stayed strong and hadn't said anything.

The truth was, this character reminded Sasuke of himself. Not just his personality, his physical appearance as well. He had really pale skin and long black hair. On the moonlight he transformed into a white wolf. He was sure Gaara had done it on purpose – but maybe he was flattering himself. Still, there was a very high possibility. Writers had to take their inspiration from somewhere, after all…

Sasuke decided he should send his story to Naruto right away, since he was still in front of his laptop. So he did just that, along with a short email telling him to read it if he had the time, and to be honest in his reviews.

After that he re-read the script of the movie again. He knew it by heart but he really wanted to be perfect. He was actually really nervous about his part in the movie. He was trying not to let it show whenever he was hanging out with the crew and cast of the film lately. But this would be his first time being an actor, and he didn't want to screw it up.

It really didn't help that the actress playing his love interest in the movie was kind of an annoying bitch. She was one of those wannabe divas who thought the world revolved around them just because their face appeared in teenagers' magazines.

He closed his laptop and took one last sip of tea. He made a face; it was a little cold now. He proceeded to clean up the kitchen. There wasn't much to clean up since he was alone. It really would take him some time to get used to living on his own again. It was kind of depressing. He still expected Naruto to pop out of nowhere sometimes. It was strange not having his roommate with him anymore.

At least his apartment was nice and comfortable, and he had pretty much finished buying everything that he needed. Shisaki was being a paranoid agent and he kept calling him all the time because he needed to be reassured that his future movie star was doing fine. Suigetsu had also called him once, to make sure he was okay.

But Sasuke couldn't help but feel lonely. He was in a town he didn't know, and even if it was beautiful and all it still felt foreign to him. He kept telling himself that when he would actually start working on the movie set it would be better. It would keep him busy. He only hoped he wasn't mistaken.

He fell asleep with thoughts of Naruto on his mind that night. So he had a cool new roommate, huh? Sasuke chuckled bitterly to himself as he curled up on his side. Maybe a little bit too cool, from the few words Naruto had told him… But he was probably just being paranoid.

…

Naruto's first week went by extremely fast. During the day he went to his classes, and he did his homework – or played online games – during his breaks, and in the evening he went to work at the coffee shop. He was glad because at least he was making a little bit of money. Maybe Sasuke wouldn't have to help him pay for his studies after all.

He found the psychology classes extremely interesting. They were his favourites. This knowledge sort of came naturally to him. He instinctively knew how a person could become troubled by different events in their life. He only needed to learn the terms for the essays and exams of course. The other courses were kind of boring, in his opinion. At least in the following semesters they would also get to do internships, so it was pretty exciting.

Naruto was getting along really well with Fukami. He had already given him a couple of guitar lessons, late in the evening when they both really needed a study break – or a break from online gaming in Naruto's case. Well, for his defense, they didn't have much to study yet.

He was still writing to Sasuke everyday. The latter had started shooting the movie, and he claimed that it wasn't exciting and fun at all. In his emails, he kept complaining that his co-stars were bitches and pricks, and that they kept forgetting their lines and screwing up. Sasuke was a beginner at this and he felt like he was better than them. Those emails always made Naruto laugh. Of course Sasuke would be better than everyone. He was always better than everyone at everything he did.

He had also read his story. And he had absolutely loved it. He really hoped Sasuke believed him when he wrote to him saying that he had enjoyed every single word.

Narim the demon one that kind of resembled Naruto (a lot) ends up disobeying the orders because he couldn't bring himself to kill Kaito (the one that was kind of like Sasuke, of course). But in the end Kaito falls for him too and kills himself to save the demon's ass, pretty much... They both ended up being sort of fallen angels/demons in hell but... Naruto supposed hell wasn't so bad if you got to be with the person you loved forever, right? It was fucked up, and strangely romantic. Naruto loved it. He found the writing style amazing, the ideas unique, and overall, for what his opinion was worth, he thought it was publishing material. He highly recommended Sasuke to show it to his agent some time.

Sasuke hadn't replied to him yet.

"What are you doing?" Fukami's soft voice suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh I was just… spacing out," Naruto chuckled, looking away from his laptop screen.

"Playing League of legends again?" the brunet – well, he was both blond and brunet, really – laughed softly.

"Nope," Naruto yawned, "I was just checking my emails. But Sasuke didn't send me a reply yet…"

Fukami frowned slightly, "That's the model-actor-writer one right?" He asked, making Naruto laugh.

"Yes. He's also my best friend."

"Hmm… you're lucky. I don't really have a best friend. I guess… that would be my sister. But she's far away now."

"Is she your older or younger sister?" Naruto asked.

Fukami put his notebook away. Instead he picked up his guitar and started playing absent mindedly.

"Older," he said, "she's twenty five. She's a Japanese teacher in British Columbia."

"Cool. But it sucks that you guys are apart."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I really miss her sometimes. In the beginning we wrote to each other everyday, just like you and your friend. But we kinda stopped eventually…"

Naruto frowned, "That sucks…"

"Yeah," he shrugged again, then changed the subject, "So do you wanna try and play some guit tonight?"

"Yeah!" the blond exclaimed.

"You sure?" Fukami chuckled, "You look a little tired."

"I'm fine," Naruto argued.

"All right…"

He walked up to Fukami's bed and sat in front of him. Like they always did, at first he showed him the melodies and of course the chords, and then he handed him the guitar so that he could try it. It would be much easier with two guitars, but Naruto couldn't afford it at the moment so it was better than nothing.

They kept at it for about thirty minutes. Fukami kept complimenting him, and telling him that he was a really fast learner. It was flattering Naruto's ego of course. Without really noticing they ended up sitting really close to one another. Fukami would constantly lean really close and place Naruto's fingers himself so that he could play the chords perfectly.

The blond did feel kind of tired after this, so he just put the guitar away and let himself fall on the bed. Fukami smiled and also lay down right next to him. It was a single bed so there wasn't much space, but no one was complaining.

"Hey Fukami?"

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering, how old are you?"

"Nineteen, but I'll be twenty next month, on February 14th. You?"

"I'm twenty one. So you have your birthday on Valentine's day huh?"

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I don't really care though. Valentine's day just a stupid commercial thing."

"I guess you're right. You know, Sasuke told me the exact same thing two years ago when I was wondering what to get for my girlfriend at the time."

"Did you end up buying her something?" Fukami asked.

"Yeah of course. Flowers, chocolates, a necklace, the whole deal. I think Ino would've killed me if I hadn't gotten her anything."

"Was she happy with her gifts at least?"

"No," Naruto laughed, "that's the worst part. She was disappointed because the flowers weren't her favourites. She called me an idiot for getting her chocolates while she was on a diet, and she didn't like the necklace either."

"What was wrong with the necklace?"

"They weren't real diamonds…"

"Wow. She sounds charming." Fukami said, making Naruto laugh. "Do you have a girlfriend now?"

"No I'm single. What about you?"

"Same. So is there anyone you find interesting at this school so far?"

"Not really," Naruto shrugged.

"Me neither… except maybe one person," Fukami smiled at him. Not very subtle.

Naruto held his gaze for a moment, drawn to his hazel eyes. But then he glanced away. This wasn't good… What the hell was Fukami thinking, flirting with him like that? They had only known each other one week, and besides, they were roommates… This could get awkward.

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he said.

He grabbed his towel, shampoo and body soap and quickly made his way down the hallway, towards the bathroom. It was rather late so there wasn't anyone in there at the moment. Naruto sighed and went to the last shower stall. He closed his eyes as he let his body relax under the warm water. He was kind of… turned on. Fukami was actually a really cute guy. And there was just something about him that Naruto liked. Maybe just the fact that he was a musician, which was totally adorable.

Naruto quickly finished cleaning himself, but he stayed under the water. He hesitated, then, certain that he was alone, he started pleasuring himself…

"Want some company?"

Naruto almost fell, "Holy shit you scared me…"

Fukami chuckled as he joined him in the shower stall. Naruto's blue eyes widened as he took in the sight of his – quite sexy – naked body. He was a little bit too short for Naruto's taste but other than that he looked really hot.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

The younger guy bit his lip, and ran his fingers through his now wet brown and blond locks. He leaned closer and whispered, "I thought you might want some company, that's all…"

"How did you know I wouldn't freak out?" Naruto whispered, even though he had no idea why they were whispering, after all they were alone.

"The way you always stare at my ass," Fukami smiled.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "You wish…"

"You know it's true. Well that and the way you looked at me after I said I found you interesting…"

The blond locked eyes with him. He was still hard, but he wasn't too embarrassed about it since Fukami was getting hard himself. He placed his hand behind the smaller guy's neck and crashed their lips together.

As they kissed, Naruto found himself thinking about Sasuke. He couldn't help it, he was comparing. Sasuke was a better kisser. Sasuke's body would've felt so much better in his arms… He didn't know why he couldn't stop thinking about the raven, even in a moment like this.

All thoughts left his mind though, when Fukami's hand started stroking his painfully hard erection. Come to think of it, it had been a really long time since he had gotten laid…

He had wanted his first time with a guy to be with Sasuke though…

"Ah… fuck…" Naruto moaned when Fukami started squeezing harder, and stroking him even faster. He was really close…

They kissed again, but after a moment the brunet pulled away.

"I want you to fuck me Naruto," he whispered, "I've wanted you to fuck me since I first saw you…"

"That wasn't exactly a long time ago," the blond chuckled, and he tried to kiss him again.

But Fukami pulled away teasingly, "Who cares? There won't be any awkwardness I promise. I've got condoms in our room, what do you say?"

"You brought condoms here?" Naruto laughed.

"Hey, never too careful," he said teasingly.

He couldn't deny it, he was really craving it…

"Let's go," he said.

They quickly grabbed their stuff, and wrapped towels around their waist. Their hard-ons weren't exactly subtle, but there was no one in the hallway anyway.

They locked the door and started making out. Their towels fell off but they couldn't care less. Naruto pushed Fukami on his bed and climbed on top of him. He kissed his neck, his chest, and his stomach. He pulled away slightly, put on the condom that Fukami was handing him. Then he realized what he was about to do and he stopped.

"Please don't change your mind..." Fukami pleaded.

"This is my first time," Naruto said.

Hazel eyes widened in surprise, "Really?"

"Well first time with a guy," he said defensively, "and I mean I've kissed guys before but…"

Fukami smiled, "You look like you know what you're doing."

Naruto gave a slight shrug and smiled back. Damn he was a sucker for flattery…

He was really unsure at first, but he really wanted to try this. And it turned out it really wasn't that much more complicated than with girls. Fukami turned to lie face down, and he was fisting the sheets and moaning like crazy. Naruto actually stopped at some point to tell him to keep it quiet. He didn't want to wake up everyone in the dorms…

"But it's so good," the brunet smiled.

Naruto chuckled. He couldn't help but think that this felt better than with any of the other people he had gone to bed with – all girls of course. This was just so spontaneous, intense, passionate, crazy, and fun… And maybe he really was gay.

"Fuck me harder…" he pleaded.

He didn't have to be told twice.

"Ah fuck…" the blond closed his eyes for a moment. It felt so good…

Fukami was still moaning a lot. Loudly.

"Seriously keep it down," Naruto chuckled, "people are gonna wake up…"

"I can't… Ah! I can't help it… Feels so good…"

"Bite the sheets or something," Naruto smiled, amused.

"Okay," Fukami breathed.

He actually did it, making Naruto laugh. Weird. They weren't exactly quiet, and Naruto really hoped no one would hear them. But he couldn't care less at the moment, he just felt so fucking good…

"I'm gonna… come…" Fukami moaned.

"Me too," Naruto breathed.

After they came they collapsed on the bed together. They were both smiling, feeling good and relaxed.

"No awkwardness right?" Naruto asked.

"I promise. I'm honored to have been your first time," the brunet chuckled, "seriously…"

Naruto turned on his side to face him, "So I wasn't bad then?"

"You were amazing," he bit his lip, "and actually you're bigger than any of the other guys I've been with…"

Naruto chuckled, "Seriously you've gotta stop that constant flattering…"

The smaller guy laughed, "What can I say? You're my ultimate wet dream come true Naruto."

"I just told you to stop it!" he exclaimed.

"All right, all right, I'll try."

They got up and used tissues to clean themselves. It was better than nothing and they were too sleepy to go to the bathrooms and take another shower.

"Can I sleep in your bed for tonight? Since my sheets need to be changed…"

"Guess I'm responsible for that," Naruto smiled, "so it would be rude of me to say no."

Fukami smiled back and he joined him on his bed.

"Good night lover."

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Shut up."

The brunet chuckled, but he didn't reply.

Even after all this, Naruto thought about Sasuke before falling asleep. Would he tell the raven about this or not? Probably, since they had a promise to never keep secrets from each other... He didn't really want to tell him though.

A/N: I'm pretty sure you guys didn't like this one lol.

Actually as I re-read it I was like what the fuck... what's up with all the emails and random description of stories... Stories into a story lol omg it's like inception - by the way you really don't have to read my rambling i don't even do author's notes usually

I decided to leave it like that to show the difference between the relationships Gaara/Sasuke and Naruto/Sasuke

Gaara using Sasuke as inspiration - the same way Sasuke used Naruto as inspiration - in his story is his own fucked up way to show him that he _really_ likes him I guess that's what i wanted to portray... also it's gonna be relevant somehow but I'll let you figure that out

And as for Naruto... he's just being a horny idiot trying out stuff and i know what are the odds that his roommate is hot and gay but oh well lol oh yeah and i chose to make an OC cause i didn't know what other character to use... I tried not to go into too many details for the sex scene cause that's not what you guys want to read and i know that but... yeah

There's gonna be a lot of time skip in the next chapter because i don't like when they're apart and i'm sure you guys don't like it either so i promise you better chapters coming up with lots of drama (you know you love it) and them being reunited


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After a long day of filming Sasuke was tired, and he wanted nothing but to go home. He'd had to pretend to be in love with that annoying bitch again. Apparently he was doing it well because the director actually came by his private changing room to congratulate him for his good work.

"I was worried at first because you're new to all this, but I gotta say Sasuke, you're more professional and talented than many famous actors in the industry!"

"Thanks Sir," he bowed politely.

He let out a relieved sigh when the director left him alone. He wanted to just change into his own, comfier clothes and go home…

But then he remembered he had a meeting with his agent.

"Fuck my life," he muttered to himself.

It had been a month already since they had started filming the movie. It was exhausting. Days were so long and full that Sasuke didn't really see time pass by. They were pretty much doing a few scenes per day, and they were repeating them over, and over again until the director and producer were both satisfied. Sure there were times when it was satisfying and even fun, but mostly it was just tiring.

As he took the public transportation towards his agent's hotel he thought about the reason for this meeting. It wasn't about his modeling career. That was put on hold for now, during the filming of the movie for obvious reasons. It was about his novel, actually. He had followed Naruto's advice and sent it to his agent. He didn't really know why he had done it.

And now Shisaki wanted to meet him to discuss it. Sasuke wondered what the hell he wanted to discuss so badly… It was just a stupid silly story after all.

He didn't bother stopping at his place first. As always when meeting his agent, he didn't really care what he looked like. He wore black jeans, a matching sweater and a warm jacket. His hair was windblown and he probably looked tired.

Well, when he got there, if his agent noticed he didn't make any comments. He simply invited him inside his hotel room with a smile.

"What would you like to eat Sasuke?" he asked.

"Anything warm," he answered, still shivering from the cold.

"I feel like miso ramen," Shisaki said, "what do you say"?

"Sure," Sasuke chuckled. It wasn't exactly his favorite food, but it would make him think of Naruto.

Shisaki placed the order using the hotel's phone, and then he came to join Sasuke, sitting in the sofa chair in front of him. He crossed his legs and smiled at him.

"I absolutely loved your story."

"You did?" Sasuke raised a brow.

"Yes! Sasuke, I'm starting to believe you have every talent! It's an amazing story! I know a lot of people in publishing houses, so with your permission I will send it as soon as possible."

"Well, yeah, sure, we can give it a try but…"

"Great!" his smile widened, "I'm positive it will get published. And I'm sorry in advance for being so ambitious, but it's my job, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke inquired.

"Well, I'm thinking you could work with an artist and adapt this story into a manga. Then I'm pretty sure you'd be asked to sell the rights to turn it into a short anime series..."

"Wow calm down," Sasuke chuckled, "I think you're being a little too ambitious."

"We'll see," Shisaki smiled. "Anyway, tell me how's the movie coming along?"

Their ramen arrived, and they ate while talking about the movie project. At some point Shisaki started talking about Sasuke's story again, and he asked him to choose a title as fast as possible.

"Do you have any ideas?" Sasuke asked.

"I've got a few," he shrugged, "but I'd like you to come up with it. I'm sure your ideas are better than mine."

After they had finished their meal, Sasuke left right away because he was really tired. He almost fell asleep in the subway train on his way back home.

As always his apartment felt too empty, but he was slowly getting used to it. He prepared some tea and opened up his laptop. He had no new email from Naruto. He frowned; it had been a while now…

But then he noticed that Naruto was online, and that he was inviting him to a live webcam chat conversation. He accepted right away. He smiled when he saw Naruto on his screen. He wore a dark orange t-shirt. It was one of his really old t-shirts, which were too large for him. The old Naruto didn't exactly have a very good fashion sense. His hair seemed a bit wet, and Sasuke thought that maybe he was coming out of the shower. He looked hot like that, with his bangs falling in his face instead of being all spiked up.

Sasuke suddenly felt self-conscious. What if he looked like shit? He nervously ran his fingers through his hair. But it was no use, Naruto could see him already anyway.

"Hey what's up?" Naruto said.

Seeing him and hearing his voice, even though it was through the computer, felt very nice and comforting. He missed him so much.

"Nothing much, you?"

He took a sip of his tea.

"Same… Oh are you drinking my tea?"

Sasuke chuckled, "Yes."

"Yay!"

Naruto was so silly sometimes.

"How's school?"

"Pain in the ass," Naruto shrugged, "except my psychology class. It's awesome."

"You should consider going into psychology at the university instead of social work."

"Yeah," the blond seemed thoughtful, "but I'll at least finish the semester."

"And how's work?" Sasuke asked.

"Costumers complaining, being complete asses, the usual."

"Well if it's any consolation, being an actor isn't exactly glamorous…"

Naruto made a face, "Aw, your co-star is still being a bitch?"

"She's reaching whole new bitchy levels."

"That sucks…"

"Yeah… hey I'm glad we're finally talking like this. I mean emails are great but this is nice."

"Yeah I'm sorry I couldn't do it before. When my roommate is here he kind of… takes all my attention," Naruto chuckled, "but he went to see his parents for the weekend so I finally have a little break, and I can talk to you!"

"Cool," Sasuke said, "so he takes up all your attention huh?"

"Yeah actually I wanted to tell you but… I kinda wish I could tell you in person."

"What?" his heart started beating faster, but not in a good way. He felt a little anxious…

His fears were confirmed when Naruto replied, "Well we're kind of…"

"What?" he said again, trying to sound casual.

The blond shrugged, and ran his fingers through his hair. "We're boyfriends I guess."

Sasuke's heart sank. He felt so jealous… he felt so helpless. Far from the eyes, far from the heart… He supposed it was true.

"It's nothing too serious," Naruto went on, "I don't know if I love him, I don't think so. We're just dating. No big deal."

"Experimenting?"

"I guess you could say that," the blond chuckled. "But we don't have to talk about it. Tell me about you. What're you up to these days, except the movie?"

"Honestly, I'm spending pretty much all my time on the movie set. But hum… I met with my agent today, and he really likes my story. He wants to try to publish it."

"See!" Naruto exclaimed, smiling, "I told you it was good! That moron Gaara doesn't know what he's talking about."

Sasuke smiled back, but his heart wasn't into it. He didn't even feel like talking about his story. He didn't feel like talking about the movie. He had only one thing on his mind, and it was painful…

Naruto had a boyfriend. His new roommate.

"Are you okay?"

Sasuke jumped slightly, "Ah, yeah, sorry, I was totally spacing out I guess I'm tired…"

"You do look a little tired. Drink your tea and then go to sleep."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Oh and Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I know I told you a thousand times but, I really loved the ending to your story. Guess I want to tell you instead of just writing it in an email but… I loved how Kaito found the courage to kill himself to be with Narim, even though he knew he would become a demon. It was really intense, the way he was scared, but wanted to be with Narim no matter what…"

He couldn't help but smile, "Thanks."

"We never really talked about this but… the two main characters, they're inspired from us right?"

Sasuke shrugged helplessly, "It was that obvious, huh?"

"Well," Naruto chuckled, "yeah…"

"I'm glad you liked the story," Sasuke said simply. "Well, good night… I hope it works out with hum…"

"Fukami."

"Right…"

"Thanks. Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"I miss you."

Sasuke looked at his computer screen, and he wished from the bottom of his heart that Naruto would be here with him at this moment, instead of being so far away…

"Miss you too."

They ended their conversation after that, and Sasuke closed his laptop. He sighed shakily as he got up and went to his bedroom. As he went to sleep he wiped his eyes, and realized he was crying. Silent tears kept rolling down his cheeks, and he couldn't stop...

…

Days passed, and days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Sasuke felt a little bit… numb. And lonely.

Suigetsu and Gaara kept telling him that they would visit him soon, but he knew all too well that with their jobs and lifestyles it wasn't possible.

In March, the movie was almost finished filming. The official title and release date had been announced to the press. Moonless Night. It was some sort of reference to the girl character's name in the movie, Tsuki. Sasuke didn't really get it. But there was nothing much to get.

Other than that, well, thanks to Shisaki's efforts and contacts, his novel would be published. The title would be Personal Demons. It was pretty much as lame as the title choice for the movie Sasuke was playing in. But the publishing house wanted something catchy. Of course, first there would be a lot of editing and reworking. At least Sasuke had to meet with them and approve with the changes before it was released. It wouldn't be in a while anyway; they wanted to wait for him to become more famous before actually publishing it. In other words, they would wait for the movie to come out, and for his popularity to climb up.

He also had modeling contracts coming up in spring. His career was into overdrive, and he would be making a lot of money really soon. He had recently transferred some money to Naruto's bank account actually, so that he could work fewer hours and concentrate on his studies more.

In his spare time, he was writing. His agent was being his ambitious self, and he was encouraging him to keep working hard. But Sasuke was doing it because he was bored, really, and also because he was inspired. His new work was a lot darker - the main character was suicidal actually. Gaara would be ecstatic.

There was one thing Sasuke was looking forward to and dreading at the same time. Naruto was coming to visit him for spring break.

But he was bringing his boyfriend.

"Break's over," the director suddenly announced.

Sasuke shook his head to clear his thoughts. He returned to the set, taking off his jacket. His character always wore really light clothes even if he was standing outside in the cold like an idiot. The girl character also wore really light clothes. Movie ratings and stuff…

"Aruki! You're up in five minutes!" the director shouted.

She whined, "But my hair looks too flat like this! I don't like it, and my fans won't like it either!"

One of the other actors raised a brow at her, "You're supposed to have been held hostage for days…"

"So what!" she replied.

"Fine," the director sighed, and spoke to the hairdresser, "do something about her hair… please hurry up we don't have all night..."

Sasuke face palmed. He deserved a very prestigious award for playing a love struck idiot obsessed with that girl…

…

In the airport Naruto was practically bouncing. Saying that he was excited was a major understatement.

"Calm down," Fukami exclaimed, laughing.

"I can't!" Naruto replied, smiling widely, "I miss him so much!"

"I know," the brunet said, crossing his legs, "you've only been telling me everyday for the last three months."

The blond chuckled, and finally sat down beside his boyfriend.

"You don't understand. This is the first time in our whole lives – well from what we can remember anyway – that we're apart for so long."

"I know," Fukami smiled fondly, "to be honest I'm a little jealous."

"Well I told you," Naruto shrugged, "if you want to be with me you have to accept my best friend too. He's always gonna be in my life."

"You didn't let me finish," Fukami leaned closer, "I'm a little jealous, but I think it's amazing that you have a relationship like that with someone. It's rare."

He kissed him softly, and Naruto smiled.

"Thanks for respecting that."

"Of course. And hey I can't wait to see you play guitar for him. I bet he'll be in for a surprise!"

"Yeah," the blond laughed, "I didn't even tell him I was playing really well now."

"More than well. You're amazing," the brunet said sincerely.

"All thanks to you!"

Their flight was announced and Naruto jumped to his feet. He practically sprinted to get to their plane, and Fukami followed more slowly behind. When Naruto turned around he urged him forward.

"Come on, hurry up!"

"You're insane," Fukami replied, chuckling and shaking his head in disbelief at Naruto's antics.

In the plane Fukami slept pretty much the whole time, his head resting against Naruto's shoulder. The latter was too excited to sleep though, so he listened to music in his IPod – recently purchased thanks to Sasuke's money, but he intended to pay him back eventually.

At the coffee shop they had refused to let him go on this little trip for spring break, so Naruto had basically told them to go fuck themselves – not using those exact words, but he had thought them – and he had decided to quit. He could find another job when he came back.

Fukami was really lucky. He didn't need to work. As long as he was studying his parents were paying for everything. He had invited Naruto to come with him to visit his parents on some weekends, but the blond had declined. Meeting parents made him way too nervous.

Fukami had insisted to come with him to visit Sasuke though. He had claimed that it would be an honor to finally meet Naruto's best friend and most important person. Fukami was really good at sweet talk. Naruto hadn't been able to say no. Besides he was bringing his guitar and Naruto really wanted to play for Sasuke. So what if he wanted to show off a little?

It felt like forever until they arrived to Kyoto. Naruto was having a really hard time sitting still, and he was fidgety. Really, he wondered how Fukami was able to sleep.

But they finally made it safely to their destination. They picked up their luggage, and Naruto kept looking in every possible direction; Sasuke was supposed to meet them at the airport.

"Just calm down," Fukami told him for the hundredth time.

"No!" Naruto exclaimed stubbornly.

He continued looking everywhere like his life depended on finding Sasuke amongst all those people.

"Just tell me what he looks like," his boyfriend suggested.

"He's tall and skinny, he's got black hair and… piercings… and he's always dressed in black…" Naruto described as he continued looking.

"Is that him?"

Naruto followed Fukami's gaze. And he smiled. The guy Fukami was looking at was indeed his best friend. Sasuke was walking towards them, stylish as ever, bangs hiding one eye, hands in his pockets and looking casual. Naruto thought his heart would burst out with happiness or something. God he had missed him.

He dropped all of his things carelessly and ran to throw himself in Sasuke's arms. Naruto laughed and held him tightly.

"Fucking missed you…"

"Missed you too," Sasuke smiled. "Hum, you can let go now…"

But the blond wouldn't let go of him. Instead he pulled him up in the air and Sasuke had no choice but to wrap his arms around his neck.

"The fuck are you doing?" he asked but he was still smiling.

"I missed you," Naruto simply repeated.

He finally put him down, and pulled away. But he didn't look away from those beautiful, big dark eyes he had missed so much. He couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm glad you're here," Sasuke said.

"My boss wouldn't let me go so I quit," Naruto shrugged.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Naruto chuckled, but didn't reply. He suddenly remembered they weren't alone. But he knew his boyfriend wouldn't blame him for treasuring this moment with his best friend. He went to pick up the things he had dropped a few moments ago.

"I don't think introductions are needed," he said, addressing both Fukami and Sasuke.

The shorter of the two smiled, and held out his hand, "It's good to finally meet you Sasuke, I've heard so much about you."

The raven shook his hand with a polite nod, "Same here."

"Only good things I hope," Fukami chuckled.

Naruto laughed, "That's a secret! Just kidding, of course it was only good things. Now guys, what should we do first?"

"Well I've got a taxi waiting for us outside," Sasuke said, "so if you guys wanna go drop your things at my place, and then we can visit a little I guess."

"Sounds great," Fukami exclaimed.

"Let's go," Naruto added as they started walking.

In the taxi Sasuke sat at the front, and Naruto and his boyfriend in the back seat.

"So is the movie finished?" the blond asked.

Sasuke turned to look at him, "We finished filming like two days ago. They still need to work on it but as far as I'm concerned, my job's finished."

"Sweet! So when are you coming back to Tokyo?"

"As soon as I find someone to take my apartment here."

"Awesome," Naruto smiled.

"Where are you gonna stay in Tokyo?" Fukami inquired, "Naruto told me you guys gave up your old apartment."

"I haven't figured it out yet," Sasuke answered.

"So how's being an actor?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence.

The driver glanced at Sasuke sideways, probably wondering if he had someone famous in his car.

"I've only told you about it a thousand times," the raven chuckled.

"By email! It's different! Now we're actually talking."

"What would be your overall impression?" Fukami asked.

Sasuke glanced at him, and then back at Naruto. "I'd say interesting, but mostly tiring. When you have to do the same scene for the thirtieth time because the other idiots screw up their lines… it's just annoying."

"I can imagine," the blond chuckled.

Fukami leaned forward in his seat, "Hey I read rumors in a magazine about you and that actress Aruki dating."

Sasuke laughed, and so did Naruto.

"Yeah that would never happen," the raven said.

"Why would they make up that rumor anyway?" Naruto raised a brow.

"I don't know," Sasuke shrugged, "to sell their stupid magazine. I mean we went out for coffee once. Once. And I accepted to be polite."

"You're totally right," Fukami said, "it's just to sell their stupid magazine."

Sasuke paid for the taxi when they arrived in front of his apartment building. He helped them carry their luggage inside.

The apartment was small but really clean and neat. Well Naruto wasn't surprised at all; Sasuke was kind of a neat freak.

"This place is really nice," Fukami complimented him.

"You'd probably have a heart attack if you saw our dorm room," Naruto laughed.

"It can't be worst than your bedroom at our old apartment," Sasuke argued.

"Believe me," the blond made a face, "it can."

Sasuke smiled, "You're unbelievable. I still can't understand how someone can live in such a mess."

"It's partly my fault," Fukami admitted, "I'm not so tidy myself."

Sasuke changed the subject, "So you guys can have the living room while you're here. This…" he walked up to the couch, "turns into a bed, and it's like, queen size, so you should have enough room…"

"Of course," Fukami smiled, "we're used to sleeping together in a really small bed so it should do just fine."

The raven glanced away, and cleared his throat. Naruto's smile faded. Sasuke looked uncomfortable. But maybe he just needed to get used to the idea of him having a boyfriend. He tried to save the situation.

"Thank you so much for having us," he exclaimed, "it's really cool. That way we don't have to pay for a hotel."

"It's no problem," Sasuke brushed it off.

"Can I see your bedroom?" Naruto asked and before waiting for his answer walked to the next room.

He frowned, disappointed. It was so… empty compared to Sasuke's bedroom in their old apartment.

"I didn't feel like decorating or buying too much stuff," the raven explained, "I mean I wasn't planning on staying very long anyway so…"

"Makes sense," Fukami commented.

Sasuke invited them out for dinner, to a sushi restaurant that he really liked. Naruto agreed to the idea excitedly, while Fukami hesitated. He wasn't a big fan of sushi. But he finally complied, and they went outside, following Sasuke's lead.

"I still can't believe you don't like sushi," Naruto exclaimed.

Fukami shrugged helplessly, "It's not that I hate it, it's just not my favorite food is all."

"It's okay I forgive you," the blond said teasingly, and he put his arm around his shoulders, "you like ramen so it's okay."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and glanced away. Naruto frowned slightly. He removed his arm from around his boyfriend's shoulders. Maybe if he didn't show too much affection to his boyfriend then it would be okay. But before they walked inside the restaurant Fukami kissed him on the lips, and Sasuke looked uncomfortable again. So much for that…

As they sat around a table near the window, Sasuke asked them about school.

"I love the music program," Fukami exchanged a smile with Naruto.

"He's trying to convince me to change," Naruto laughed, "my program's kinda boring…"

Fukami chuckled and leaned closer to kiss him.

Sasuke raised a brow and looked at his menu. Naruto pushed his boyfriend away softly.

"Stop it..."

After that the waitress arrived and they placed their orders. Naruto was really hungry so he ordered a lot of sushi. Since Fukami wasn't a big fan of this type of food he ordered all sorts of different things they had on the menu. As for Sasuke, he only ordered a very light meal.

"Still anorexic huh?" Naruto teased him when the waitress was gone.

"Yeah."

"You guys shouldn't joke about that," Fukami said on a serious tone, "my sister was anorexic when she was younger. It's really not funny."

"It's just an inside joke," Naruto shrugged, "but you're right, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," the brunet smiled and took his hand.

Sasuke looked at their linked hands, and then he looked away and ran shaky pale fingers through his long hair. No one else would have noticed his uneasiness, but Naruto knew him too well.

When the waitress arrived with their glasses of water Naruto used this as an excuse to pull his hand from Fukami's hold. He took a few sips of water and cleared his throat.

"So what's the title of your book? You didn't tell me in your emails."

Sasuke looked up at him, "Personal Demons."

"It's a cool title!"

"Yeah I don't really like it," the raven chuckled, and drank some water.

"Kinda too obvious," Fukami agreed, "I mean if it's a story about demons."

"Publishing house wanted something catchy," Sasuke muttered.

"Well you should be the one to choose," Naruto shrugged.

Fukami asked, "Did you have any other ideas?"

Sasuke played with his ear piercings absent-mindedly. He did that sometimes when he was nervous.

"I don't know something darker, that recalls the theme of suicide…"

"It would probably be better," Fukami said.

"You didn't even read the story," Naruto told him, and his boyfriend just shrugged.

Their food arrived and they didn't lose any time to start eating.

"I'm starving," Naruto said.

"You're always starving," Fukami teased him.

During most of the meal Fukami and Naruto talked about random things, like the things they wanted to do and visit in Kyoto, and how they weren't looking forward to the end of spring break, while Sasuke remained quiet. Naruto was a little bit disappointed but then again, Sasuke was never one to talk a lot. He felt like even though they were reunited, they were so far away. And Sasuke seemed so sad, although he was trying to hide it.

Sasuke wanted to pay for everyone but Naruto protested.

"You're already letting us stay at your place. Let me pay for dinner at least…"

The raven finally complied, "All right…"

"Besides you barely even ate anything," Naruto told him.

They walked back quickly towards Sasuke's apartment. It was a cold night for the end of March. Fukami was shivering and pressed himself closer to his boyfriend for warmth. But Sasuke also looked really cold and Naruto couldn't help but think, if he was single, would things be different? Would he be holding Sasuke close instead of Fukami?

Did he regret bringing his boyfriend here?

He didn't want to admit the truth to himself, but… he did regret it a little.

Once they were inside Naruto and Fukami sat on the couch and Sasuke brought a chair to sit in front of them. But he still wasn't very talkative.

Fukami exchanged a knowing glance with Naruto, "Do you wanna… play?"

Sasuke raised a brow, "Play?"

"Guitar," Naruto laughed, "I wanted to play for you, to show you my new skills."

"He's got some skills all right," Fukami smiled and kissed his lips.

Naruto didn't kiss back, instead he pushed him away softly and bent over to grab the guitar case.

"Let's hear it," Sasuke made a little smile.

Naruto felt nervous. He really wanted to play well to impress Sasuke. He had asked Fukami to teach him a particular song. It had been one of Sasuke's favourites ever since middle school. It was rock alternative, with lots of cool guitar solos. They had been listening to it together often in their apartment.

This moment was special for Naruto. He tuned the guitar, and then he looked up at Sasuke and smiled, right before he started playing. As expected, the raven recognized the melody straight away.

His smile made it all worth it. Fukami was also smiling proudly of course but Naruto barely noticed. He was playing for his best friend right now.

When he was finished Sasuke was speechless. Fukami broke the silence by clapping his hands.

"You were amazing!"

Sasuke snapped out of his daze, "You really are amazing, learning to play guitar so well, so fast… And I love that song."

"I know," Naruto smirked.

Their eyes were locked together intensely, but Fukami broke the moment by yawning.

"I'm tired you guys… Maybe we should just go to bed?"

"Sure," Sasuke said, "I'll show you how to…"

Illustrating his words instead of finishing his sentence, Sasuke walked over to the couch and they stood to let him set up the bed for them. He brought his extra set of sheets and with their help made it as comfortable as possible. Fukami thanked him warmly, before stripping to his boxers right there and crawling under the sheets.

Sasuke raised a brow, "Okay… well I'll let you guys hum…"

Again he didn't finish his sentence, and he went straight to his bedroom.

Fukami was practically asleep already.

"I'll be right back," Naruto said, and then he went to join Sasuke in his bedroom.

He closed the door and smiled apologetically, "Sorry about that…"

"About what?" Sasuke shrugged and looked down.

Naruto stepped closer, until he was standing right in front of him.

"I really missed you, you know that?"

"I think you told me a hundred times just today…"

The blond chuckled. He lifted his hand to cup Sasuke's chin, and he lifted his face. Dark eyes slowly looked up at him.

Naruto held his breath. Sasuke was so beautiful… He looked at his lips, such perfect, kissable lips…

They kissed softly, but then Sasuke pushed him away.

"What the fuck…" he lowered his voice, "are you doing?"

"I wanted to kiss you," the blond whispered.

He reached out to hold Sasuke in his arms. It felt so right to be holding him… He kissed his neck, breathed in the sweet scent of his hair… He caressed his arm, and he noticed the braided bracelet on his wrist. He smiled.

But again Sasuke pushed him away.

"Your little boyfriend's right there in the next room…"

"I know…"

"How old is he anyway?"

"Twenty."

"He looks sixteen."

Naruto didn't deny it.

"Do you love him?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know."

"Does he love you?"

"I… probably."

"Then why the fuck are you kissing me?"

"You used to kiss me all the time when you were with Suigetsu," Naruto leaned closer.

Sasuke stepped back. "It's different. Things were fucked up between us. You were confused. Now you're not confused anymore. That guy's your boyfriend, and I'm your friend. We can't both be your boyfriend."

"I'm not an idiot," Naruto said.

"Well stop acting like one then."

"Sasuke…" he whispered and reached out to him again.

The raven stepped back, but now he was leaning against the wall.

Naruto had no idea what he was doing. All he knew was that he really wanted to kiss him. He placed his hands on the wall on each side of Sasuke and he leaned closer…

"Just one kiss," he whispered.

Sasuke was holding his breath. He looked so nervous, so vulnerable… Naruto placed his hand on his chest softly.

"Your heart's beating so fast…"

Sasuke closed his eyes.

"How much did you miss me?"

Naruto was like in a daze. He kissed him softly, and then waited for his answer.

"I…"

"Yeah…?" Naruto kissed his neck, more and more intensely.

He bit his ear and Sasuke repressed a moan. He turned his head and their eyes met for a split second. The next they were kissing. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist. The blond ran his fingers through Sasuke's soft hair and explored his mouth with his tongue. He loved his taste, his smell, his feel. He loved how their hips were at the same height; their bodies seemed to be melting into each other.

Naruto's hand ventured dangerously low, inside Sasuke's jeans and boxers…

Then the raven pushed him away. His breathing was very fast and loud. But he looked down, letting his bangs hide his face. It looked like he wanted to disappear inside the wall.

"What's wrong?" Naruto whispered softly.

A tear rolled down Sasuke's cheek.

Naruto leaned closer.

"Just go back to him," Sasuke hissed.

"But… we kind of have an open relationship I mean… we never really talk about it but… we're not really official or exclusive…"

"It's not that," the raven whispered.

"Then what is it?" he reached out to him with his hand but Sasuke pushed it away.

He finally looked up. "I told you to stop acting like an idiot."

Naruto frowned, "If you want me to break up with him just say it, and I will."

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief, "Just… leave me alone. I'm tired I wanna sleep."

"Okay… I'm sorry if I upset you."

Sasuke didn't reply, and he didn't return his glance. So Naruto just left his bedroom and closed the door softly. He sighed and looked at Fukami. He was curled up on his side, and he was sleeping soundly, his breathing even. Naruto just sat for a moment, with his head in his hands.

He really was an idiot… Playing with Sasuke's feelings like that. He shouldn't have brought his boyfriend here, it had been a mistake. But what to do now? How could he make things right?

It took him a long time to fall asleep that night. He kept looking at Sasuke's closed bedroom door. Sasuke… what was he thinking about right now? Was he able to find sleep at all?

Naruto closed his eyes, and he fell asleep at last, but it was troubled with confusing, disturbing nightmares…

In the morning when he woke up, he could remember only one thing about those nightmares. He was losing Sasuke forever.

A/N: it's okay, i give you the permission to hate me


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"There's a party tonight, if you guys wanna come…"

Naruto and Fukami looked up at him. They were sitting at the kitchen counter eating some breakfast that they had bought at a restaurant.

"What kinda party?" the brunet asked.

Sasuke shrugged. He sat in his computer chair.

"A party with some of the actors…"

"Cool!" Fukami exclaimed, "We'll get to meet some famous people, like Aruki!"

"I hope you won't be too disappointed," Sasuke chuckled, "she can be… sort of an annoying bitch."

He laughed, "Oh well… Hey are you sure you don't want any?" He offered some pastries.

Naruto answered for him, "He doesn't like sweets."

Fukami stared at Sasuke, "How can you not like sweets?"

The same thing Naruto used to tell him all the time. He rolled his eyes, muttering, "Well aren't you guys perfect for each other…"

"What was that?" the brunet asked.

"Nothing."

Naruto looked at Sasuke, but the latter glanced away.

"You're awfully quiet today," Fukami told his boyfriend.

The blond shrugged, "I didn't sleep well…"

"Poor baby, come here…"

They kissed. How cute. Sasuke felt like he was going to throw up.

"Are we going to a gay bar tonight?" Fukami inquired after he was done making out with Naruto.

Sasuke's eyes didn't leave his computer screen, although he wasn't even doing anything, "Of course not. My co-star's organizing the party, does she look like a lesbian to you?"

He laughed, "Yeah not really…"

He ran his fingers through his stupid highlighted hair – Sasuke thought it looked stupid anyway – and then he leaned against Naruto and kissed his neck. The blond pushed him away softly.

"Stop it…"

"What's the problem?" he whispered.

As if Sasuke couldn't hear them…

"Just stop it…"

"Hmm… do you want to take a shower?"

"You go. I'll go after you."

"Why don't we go together?" Fukami whined.

"Because. Just go…"

"He doesn't care. He's gay too right?"

Just because they were whispering didn't mean Sasuke couldn't hear them, he was sitting in the same damn room. Seriously, how stupid were they?

"I'm just being respectful," Naruto argued.

"But…"

Sasuke looked up and interrupted him, annoyed, "Guys I don't give a fuck if you take a shower together."

Fukami's eyes widened and he went quiet. Naruto just looked away.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke sighed, "I got hum… bad news from my agent, so hum… anyway, sorry. I already showered so the bathroom's all yours guys."

He took his laptop and went in his bedroom instead. Without looking at the others he closed his door and sat on his bed with the pillows against the wall. Of course, the bad news from his agent thing was a lie. He had just tried to excuse his rudeness…

It happened sometimes. Naruto probably wasn't surprised, he was used to it. Sasuke didn't like when people were being unnecessarily annoying, that was all.

He continued working on his story while listening to some good old metal. He was inspired to write suicidal and dark stuff at the moment. Go figure. He chuckled bitterly at his own cynical thoughts.

He heard the sound of the shower so he turned on his music a little. He kind of hated Fukami. He hated the little fucker for being too perfect for Naruto. Sasuke hated to admit it, but it was true; the guy was cute, he was a musician, he was funny and smart...

Pushing his laptop away he got up and opened his bedroom window. He shivered from the cold as he picked up his pack of smokes and his lighter. He had started smoking again recently. He was hiding it from Naruto of course.

He smiled. He knew just what the idiot would say if he found out. _"I made you quit once, well watch me, I'll make you quit again you stupid bastard!"_

His smile disappeared a few moments later, when he heard a knock at his door. He went to lower the music, but he didn't open the door.

"We're gonna do some sight seeing today, before the party," it was Fukami's voice. He went on, "and Naruto wanted to know if you wanna come with us?"

Naruto wanted to know, huh? Well, why didn't he just ask him himself?

"No… I'm sorry I've got stuff to do. Another time maybe."

"All right," Fukami said, and that ended their conversation. Thank God…

Sasuke waited for them to be gone. He even watched from the living room window, to make sure they weren't coming back because they had forgotten something. But they walked away, and turned at the street corner, disappearing from his sight.

Then he picked up his cell phone and started walking back and forth in his small apartment, hesitating. He wanted to call someone. He wanted to talk to someone. This was unusual for him, but right now, he really needed someone to listen to him… Even though Naruto was visiting him, he felt lonelier than ever before.

He called Gaara.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Gaara, I'm sorry to bother you…"

"You're not bothering me."

"Are you at work?"

"No I'm working from home today. What's up? You've never called me before."

He sat at his computer chair and sighed, "I know, I'm sorry… And don't worry I'll pay you back for this phone call…"

"Sasuke. I'm rich."

"Right…"

"What's going on? You sound upset."

"Naruto's visiting me."

"Great."

"With his boyfriend."

"Oh"

"Yeah…"

"So you still love the idiot then?"

"I can't fucking help it."

"I understand. He's got something special I guess. Plus he's almost…"

"Almost as hot as you, I know," Sasuke chuckled. He always said that.

"I made you smile?"

"Yeah."

"Great. So how's the boyfriend?"

"He's…" Sasuke sighed shakily, "perfect."

"Perfect?"

"Yeah… You know, smart, funny, talented, pretty…"

"I'm sure you're smarter, more talented, and prettier than him. You'll forgive me for not saying funnier."

"You've never even met him."

"I just know. The possibilities of him being smarter and prettier than you are very low."

"He's still Naruto's boyfriend and I'm still not."

"That can change. Although I shouldn't encourage you. It's not in my interest to have you be in an exclusive relationship with blondie. I really want to have sex with you."

"I've always admired your subtlety."

"Moving on. Did you read the latest chapter I sent you?"

"I don't wanna talk about your story right now."

"So mean. I've taught you well."

Sasuke smiled.

"I made you smile again?"

"Gaara."

"What?"

"What do I do? They're staying at my place but I can't fucking stand them."

"So kick them out. What's the problem?"

"I can't just kick them out, this is their vacation. Besides Naruto's my friend."

"What a good friend he is. How's he acting by the way? I'm curious."

"Last night he…"

"What?"

"He kissed me. And his boyfriend was sleeping in the next room."

"Do I need to be jealous?"

"No. We didn't fuck." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Good. So they have an open relationship then?"

"So he says."

"Ah, open relationships. Disasters waiting to happen."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's like fuck buddies. One or the other always ends up loving the other more, and wanting something exclusive. Never works out."

"Like with that guy you were dating?"

"You mean Tamika? Yeah he came to see me crying and whining because I was seeing other guys. He said something about wanting something real. So I gave him a goodbye fuck and then I broke up."

"Lovely story."

"I knew you'd like it."

Sasuke smiled, and shook his head in disbelief.

"I'm glad I called you."

"I'm glad you called. But I don't think I've been really helpful with your problem. I'm not really good with relationship problems. If you wanted to sue someone I could help but…"

"It's okay, I guess I just wanted to talk to someone."

"So talk. It's curing me from my boring background search…"

"I did read your chapter."

"Of course you did."

Sasuke chuckled. Gaara knew how addicted he was to his story at this point. Well, he didn't feel like talking about Naruto and Fukami anymore.

"I liked it, but the ending… You've really left me hanging for more!"

"That's the point."

He could almost hear Gaara's smirk. His chapter ended with the young werewolf guy flinching before his tormentor, telling him to stop, and that he would tell him the information.

"It's really frustrating," Sasuke said, "is he really gonna betray his clan?"

"I'm not telling you any spoilers."

"Please don't make him betray his clan. He wouldn't do that."

"I created the character," Gaara chuckled, "not you."

"But I'm your inspiration for this character."

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Oh wow," Sasuke actually laughed at this, "look at you now, trying to deny it."

"All right I won't deny it. But I'm still not telling you any spoilers."

"Fine… Hey when it's finished you should really publish it."

"No," Gaara said.

"Why not? If they're ready to publish my stupid story, they'll publish yours for sure."

"I'm a lawyer Sasuke. I do this on the side, for my own entertainment. And yours. I'd lose my credibility if I published something like that."

"You could use a different name. Some authors do that."

"I could…" he seemed thoughtful, "but anyway, I don't think it would get published."

"Of course it would. I just told you, they're publishing mine so…"

"Because you're famous. Look I don't mean to be a buzz kill. And honestly your story's really good. It might not be my favorite style but I can tell when a novel's got potential. But sometimes that's not enough to get published. Being famous helps. When your face and name are all over the magazines, they know your book's gonna sell."

"If that's the case then I'll help you," Sasuke shrugged.

He knew Gaara was right. But he didn't care if they were publishing his book just because he was somewhat famous. That was how things worked, and there was nothing much he could do about it.

After a moment of silence Gaara asked, "You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah. I could definitely pull some strings. And by that I mean my agent could pull some strings if I asked him to. He loves me."

"He's paid to love you."

"I know."

Gaara chuckled, "All right I'll think about it. You'll help me think of a fake author name?"

"Sure," Sasuke smiled.

"When are you coming back to Tokyo?"

"In a few weeks, probably. As soon as possible."

"I'll ask my sister to organize a party."

"She barely knows me!"

"Doesn't matter. She loves organizing parties."

"Why do you want a party anyway?" the raven chuckled, "So we can sneak to your bedroom and hide from the guests?"

"Yes."

"It's not possible to have a serious conversation with you is it?" Sasuke said teasingly.

"I have serious, boring conversations all the time with my clients. With you I can actually be myself."

"I feel privileged."

"You should."

"All right," he smiled, "I'll let you work I guess. Thanks for… you know…"

"Listening to your sentimental crap."

He could always count on Gaara to find the right words.

"Take care of yourself."

"You too," Gaara replied, "and you're really gonna get that party."

"Can't wait."

"And Sasuke, don't let Naruto and his bitch bring you down all right?"

"Okay…"

But Gaara had already hung up. Sasuke shook his head slightly as he put his cell down. Well, this conversation hadn't been very useful or productive, but at least it had made him feel better. Gaara really was a good friend, in his own, fucked up way.

He noticed he had two new texts on his cell. The first one was from Suigetsu.

_Randomly burst out laughing in front of customers when I saw a magazine talking about you and that actress girl possibly dating. Just thought I'd share this with you!_

Sasuke smiled. Ah, tabloids.

Well, if they really did end up making a yaoi manga and anime out of his story, his sexual orientation probably wouldn't be a secret for much longer.

The other message was from Naruto.

_I'm sorry about last night. I wanna make things right. We're gonna have fun tonight, I promise._

He frowned. Well, that was confusing… What did Naruto mean exactly by having fun tonight? He supposed he was gonna find out later…

…

The three of them looked pretty good. They also looked obviously gay – well especially Fukami. He wore tight black pants with a matching – and equally tight – sleeveless top. He had actually brought his flat iron in his suitcase so he had used it at Sasuke's place to sleek his hair.

Naruto was standing in between his boyfriend and Sasuke as they waited in line in front of the night club. He was clad in dark blue jeans and a white tank top with a white button down shirt. This look worked for him, it really made his tan skin and dark blue eyes stand out… And Sasuke really needed to stop staring.

The future movie star himself wore grey skinny jeans with a white deep v-neck tee and a black blazer that he left open. His long hair was pretty much sleek – without the help of a flat iron.

He noticed that Naruto was staring at him. Of course, he noticed this because he was staring, too. He chuckled and glanced away. Why couldn't he stay mad at him?

Naruto leaned closer, "You look hot."

Well, it was a nice enough change from cute.

He couldn't help but reply, "So do you…"

Things had been awkward at first when Naruto and Fukami had come back to the apartment, after their afternoon and evening of sight seeing. But then they had started telling him all about the places they had visited. Sasuke had given them advice and ideas as to what else they should visit. Naruto had seemed in a better mood.

He had insisted that Sasuke should come with them the next time. The raven hadn't said yes, but he hadn't refused either. He supposed he would see how things were going. So far they were having fun. They'd had some drinks at the apartment and things had been… surprisingly casual and relaxed. Maybe it helped that Sasuke was in a better mood himself. As always, Naruto's mood swings influenced him greatly. When Naruto was happy, and smiling at him constantly, he couldn't stay depressed or mad very long. Especially since his smile was the most beautiful and heart warming in the world in Sasuke's opinion. Not that he would ever say such things out loud – it would sound way too corny.

But also there was something different about the way Naruto and Fukami acted. Maybe Naruto'd had a good talk with him during the day, because now they were pretty much acting like simple friends. Once in a while Fukami would hug him or kiss him briefly, but it was pretty rare compared to how he was acting the day before.

And it was obvious the blond didn't want Sasuke to feel left out. Actually, what he was doing while they were waiting in line was a very good example.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

Without waiting for his answer, Naruto put his arm around Sasuke. He rubbed his arm to warm him up.

Sasuke chuckled, "I'm fine…" But Naruto kept his arm there anyway.

"Are you sure you don't want to check with the doormen if you're V.I.P. or something?" Fukami asked.

"No I don't think so…" the raven frowned slightly. "Aruki would've told me…"

"Well didn't you say she was a dumb blonde bitch?" Fukami replied.

"Would you not say that out loud?" Sasuke pleaded. He was paranoid of paparazzi spying on him now.

"Sorry," the brunet said, "but seriously this is taking forever… I'm gonna go check."

Sasuke watched as Naruto's boyfriend talked to the doorman. The latter checked his list, and gave a slight nod. Fukami turned around and motioned for them to join him.

"Well," Naruto shrugged, "let's go I guess…"

When they reached the entrance the doorman looked at him and asked, "Uchiha Sasuke?" He nodded. "You're on Miss Aruki's guest list, you can go in with your friends."

"Thanks," Fukami smiled, and they followed him inside.

"Good thing you checked," Naruto said.

The first floor was more like a bar lounge place than a club. But Sasuke remembered Aruki telling him that the second floor was for dancing.

He looked around and tried to find his blonde co-star. But she was nowhere in sight.

"Maybe she's upstairs," Naruto suggested.

"Maybe," Sasuke said.

"Why don't we start by getting some drinks?" Fukami suggested excitedly.

Naruto smiled at him fondly, "You remind me of when I'd just turned twenty."

"Um, Naruto," Sasuke raised a brow, "you know, you're still like that now."

"Shut up," the blond said, but he was smiling.

At the bar, Naruto ordered a beer, Fukami imitated him, and Sasuke a cranberry and gin. They stood there for a little while, just drinking and looking around at the fancy lounge bar.

Eventually Naruto suggested again that they should go upstairs to look for Aruki. So they did just that. The second floor was pretty much just a large dance floor with louder music playing, and just a small bar counter in the corner. And indeed there she was, his flamboyant blonde co-star dancing right in the middle of the large room in a bright pink dress. The place wasn't too crowded yet, so she was hard to miss. Sasuke couldn't see any of his other co-stars though.

"Sasuke!" she exclaimed when she saw him, "You came! Awesome! And you brought friends!"

She said friends in the plural but she was only looking at Naruto. Sasuke couldn't really blame her.

"Yeah, hum, Aruki, this is Naruto, and this is Fukami," he introduced, but she was still only looking at the tall blond hottie.

"Hi Naruto," she smiled, tilting her head to the side and playing with her long hair flirtatiously.

"Hey," he smiled back.

Fukami leaned closer to Sasuke and whispered in his ear, "You were right she is a bitch."

The raven chuckled, but Aruki didn't notice. Thankfully after a moment she seemed to snap out of her admiration.

"So Sasuke I'm really glad you came! You know, you're the only one from the cast who could make it, the others all ditched me!"

"Makes sense," he shrugged, "the others are a little bit too old for this kind of place."

"I guess," she sighed dramatically, "so it's just us! Well, some of my friends are here! Come on I'll introduce you!"

She led them to her group of friends in the middle of the dance floor. They weren't really dancing though. They were mostly just standing while holding their fancy drinks. There was only one guy, and the girls were wearing heels so high that they probably couldn't dance even if they wanted to.

Straight clubs…

Aruki introduced all of her girl friends but Sasuke forgot their names as soon as she said them. It was always like this. His memory really was horrible when it came to names. He caught the last one though, because it surprised him…

"…and this is my boyfriend Hiroshi!"

So that guy was her boyfriend… He looked like a real douche bag.

"So you're the guy who got to fuck my girlfriend in that movie huh?" he told Sasuke.

"Um, no, it wasn't a porn movie," the raven informed, "we only kissed for the last scene. That was it."

Aruki laughed nervously, and took her boyfriend's extremely muscular arm, "Come on be nice to my co-star Hiroshi."

"I just don't like the rumours about you guys," he protested, still staring at Sasuke threateningly.

Really, how much of an idiot was he? Sasuke wondered with a sigh. Couldn't he see that they were complete opposites? Hiroshi was the type of guy who liked to show off his spray on tan and muscles while Sasuke was a skinny pale guy with piercings. Now, clearly, the latter wasn't exactly Aruki's type.

She brushed it off, "It's good for the publicity!"

"Is that what your stupid agent told you?" Hiroshi practically shouted at her.

"Don't call my agent stupid," she replied, "he's a really nice man."

"A really nice man who just wants to fuck you!"

"Man, just calm down," Naruto stepped in.

Hiroshi turned to look at him angrily. Naruto was a little taller but Hiroshi didn't seem intimidated in the slightest.

"Who do you think you are to tell me to calm down? Do you think I didn't see you flirting with my girlfriend back there?"

The other girls had looked like they wanted to talk to them at first, but now they were staying back, understandably scared by Hiroshi's attitude.

"I wasn't flirting with your girlfriend," Naruto shook his head, "man you really need to calm the fuck down."

Hiroshi stepped closer menacingly, but Naruto held his ground. Fukami suddenly let out a heavy sigh, and he moved closer to his boyfriend.

"Look you fucking moron just cut it out. He's not interested in your girlfriend, because he's with me!"

To prove his point he took Naruto's hand. Naruto made a slight shrug as if to say, well, it's true.

Hiroshi stepped back as if they had a contagious disease. He looked at his girlfriend.

"Why'd you invite fags?"

Aruki laughed nervously.

"Oh my God," Fukami face palmed, "guys let's get out of here…"

"I hear ya," Naruto said.

"Look Aruki," Sasuke addressed the blonde girl, "I thought I'd come to your party to hang out with you one last time but um… yeah we're just gonna go. I guess I'll see you at the premiere."

Hiroshi sent them some more insults but they ignored him. They walked out of the club as quickly as possible.

"Shisaki recommended me a cool gay club, kinda underground but he told me it was worth checking out, what do you think?"

"Yeah, we should go," Naruto smiled.

"Anything but this place," Fukami agreed.

There was a moment of silence then Naruto asked, "Why'd you decide to come here in the first place anyway?"

"I thought it would be a more serious place, I don't know, I mean I thought some of the actors would be there too… I'm sorry if I'd known it was gonna be like this I wouldn't have invited you guys…"

"It's okay," Naruto threw his arms around them both casually as they walked, "let's go to a fags place now."

"I can't believe how retarded that guy is," Fukami exclaimed, "I just can't… comprehend how people like that can exist."

"That's why I hate straight clubs," Sasuke said.

"You never go out in straight clubs," Naruto raised a brow at him.

"Because I hate them."

"It's easier for you Naruto," Fukami said, glancing at his boyfriend, "you can pass for straight. Sasuke and I, not so much."

"Sasuke can pass for straight," Naruto said, but Fukami laughed.

"Not really…"

"Why not?" the blond asked.

Sasuke sighed. They were doing it again. Talking about him as if he weren't there.

"I don't know… his piercings, his hair, his style… and also the way he's always checking you out…"

"Shut up," the raven said, annoyed.

"You know it's true," Fukami said teasingly.

"Don't fight you guys," Naruto interrupted their exchange, "now Sasuke, are you sure we're going in the right direction. I don't mean to insult your sense of direction but…"

"Yeah no I'm not sure," Sasuke admitted.

"I have a gps on this thing," Fukami took out his cell phone.

They followed his lead, and they finally got to their destination after a thirty minutes walk. They hurried inside and Naruto decided to order some shooters.

Sasuke wasn't too sure about drinking those; it kind of reminded him of the Christmas party.

"It's okay," Naruto slid his arm around his waist, "you can have just a few shooters!"

"Don't try to get me drunk cause it's not gonna work!"

Even though he had said this, Sasuke drank the same amount of shooters as the two others. And he did start to feel light-headed afterwards. This club was amazing. It was small but very inviting. The music was so much better than at the other place, and here people were actually dancing. A lot of guys were dancing passionately together, and there were a few girls too.

"This place is awesome!" Naruto exclaimed, voicing his thoughts.

It didn't take long before Fukami got drunk. Clearly he didn't know his limits. He took Naruto's arms and brought him to the dance floor – which was a few steps away, really. They started dancing together quite intensely, just like all those other couples. Sasuke just watched them at first, and of course he felt jealous but also sort of resigned, at this point. He had to accept the fact that Naruto wasn't his. He had to respect that if he wanted to stay friends with him.

After a few minutes Naruto and his boyfriend seemed to finally notice that he wasn't dancing with them. They walked back towards him and they both grabbed his arms.

"Come on," Fukami said drunkenly, "come dance with us!"

Naruto smiled and led him to their spot on the dance floor. Sasuke actually felt like dancing – the alcohol and good music helped – so he tried to forget about his personal feelings. He let the techno rhythms guide his body. The light effects were pretty cool in the club, it actually felt like they were at some sort of rave party. Naruto kept smiling at him, and at some point he started dancing with him.

Sasuke didn't feel like resisting, and besides Fukami didn't seem to care. So the raven danced with Naruto, and as the minutes passed it became more and more passionate. Naruto was even grinding him. Sasuke's heart was beating faster, and he was really turned on. His dark eyes met with Naruto's lustful, half-lidded blue ones. He really wanted to kiss him…

As if reading his mind, Naruto leaned closer and pulled him into a heated kiss. At first Sasuke kissed back – he was a little bit drunk and he didn't realize what was going on – but then he pushed him away. He frowned and glanced at Fukami.

The brunet laughed in his face, and leaned closer to whisper in his ear, "Don't worry about it! Me and Naruto had a good talk today. The three of us should have a lot of fun together tonight, don't you think?"

After saying this Fukami actually tried to kiss him. But Sasuke pushed him away as well. He glared at Naruto, before walking out of the club. He took a few steps outside and leaned against the wall, pressing his hand to his forehead.

Naruto came to join him soon after.

"What's wrong?"

He stared at him angrily, "Are you seriously asking me that?"

Naruto looked sad. He sighed, "I just wanted you to… have fun."

"I don't want to be your pity fuck Naruto! I don't want a fucking threesome with you and your boyfriend!"

"But… I don't know what to do! I don't want you to feel left out…" He stepped closer, but Sasuke's glare stopped him.

"You should've thought of that before bringing him here! But you know what? I was ready to accept it. I was even ready to go with you guys do some stupid sight seeing… 'Cause you're my friend, and I wanna spend time with you. But what you did today…" he shook his head, "I mean what did you tell him anyway? Oh sweetheart please can we have a threesome with my friend Sasuke? I think he feels lonely and left out and he still has feelings for me so maybe it will make him feel better. Well guess what? You were wrong."

"I didn't tell him that," Naruto said.

He was trying to sound calm, but it was obvious he was shaken up. Well, that made two of them…

"Where is he anyway?" Sasuke asked, trying to calm himself a little.

"He's dancing with some other guys," Naruto shrugged, "having the time of his life. I told you we had an open relationship."

"Good for you."

"Sasuke…"

"What Naruto? What could you possibly say that would make things right?" he felt tears dwell in his eyes, and he looked down, embarrassed. "Because I really don't know if things can be right again…"

Naruto stepped a little closer. He was frowning, and he looked really sad, confused and helpless. But this whole situation was his fault… Sasuke couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for him. He was too upset.

"You still have feelings for me?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke closed his eyes, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt humiliated. He turned around so that Naruto couldn't see his face. But of course the idiot came to stand right in front of him, and he tried to brush aside his bangs with his hand.

"Don't touch me," Sasuke whispered, and Naruto stopped his movements.

"I'm sorry… I just… wanted us to have fun together…"

He sighed. Naruto really didn't understand anything. He didn't want to just have fun with him… He didn't want to just have sex with him.

"Sasuke I… still have feelings for you too… Look, like I said, if you want me to break up with Fukami, you just have to ask…"

"I shouldn't have to ask!" he cut him, looking up into his eyes, "I shouldn't have to ask you something like that!" he repeated. "If you want to stay with him, then stay with him! If you don't want to be with him, then break up with him! It's that simple Naruto. And I don't want anything to do with it."

"But…" he sounded desperate as he searched for his words.

Sasuke sighed, and took out his cell phone. "Save it Naruto."

"Who are you calling?"

"My agent. He's in Kyoto for the weekend. I'm gonna go stay at his hotel room. You guys can have my apartment."

Before Naruto could protest he gave him the keys. The blond looked at him, frowning, and he parted his lips but no sound came out.

"Hello?" Shisaki's voice said through the phone.

"Hi Shisaki, I was wondering, I have a… problem at my apartment, so can I stay at your hotel room for tonight, maybe even the whole weekend?"

"Of course, you can come right now. I'll send you the hotel's address and my room number by text. Do you need me to call you a taxi? Do you need anything?"

"No I'll be fine. I'll see you later."

He hung up and looked at Naruto.

"Sasuke you don't have to do this…"

"I already did."

"With Fukami we can go to a hotel room."

"It's okay," Sasuke sighed, "I won't have to pay for anything, so don't feel guilty. I just need to stop at my apartment before going to the hotel, to grab a few clothes and my laptop and stuff. So you're gonna have to come with me, you know, to unlock the door…"

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Naruto frowned.

"Yeah…" he was already dialing to call a taxi.

"I'll go get Fukami…" the blond said in a low voice before going back inside the club.

After telling the information to the taxi company, Sasuke sat down on the sidewalk and lighted a cigarette.

When Naruto came back he just looked at him, then glanced away.

"Fukami's gonna stay here a little while. I'll just leave the door unlocked for him…"

Sasuke nodded, "All right…"

Naruto slowly sat beside him.

"Sasuke… I'm sorry."

The raven took a last whiff of his cigarette, and then threw it away. He glanced sideways at Naruto and made a little sad smile.

"I know."

"I'm an idiot," the blond frowned.

"Yes you are."

He chuckled and looked down. "Are we still friends?"

Despite everything that had happened, Sasuke felt like smiling. So childish…

"Considering you stayed my friend when we were sixteen and I constantly told you to leave me the fuck alone and to go fuck yourself, I think you deserve that I give you a second chance after you offered me a threesome with your boyfriend."

"I guess when you put it like that," Naruto chuckled again, "but hey… you were going through some pretty fucked up shit back then. I knew you didn't really mean it when you told me those things."

"Don't try to give me excuses. I was an asshole."

"No…"

"I was. I started fights with you just 'cause I needed to take it all out on someone."

"I…" Naruto shook his head slightly, "I already forgave you for that! Why the hell are you talking about that right now? I'm supposed to be the asshole here. You really are kinda masochistic aren't you?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. The stupid taxi was taking forever… He lighted another cigarette.

"Since when do you smoke again?" Naruto exclaimed, and stole the cigarette from his hand.

"Couple weeks ago…"

"I made you quit once, I can make you quit again!"

Sasuke smiled, and Naruto smiled back. It was a weak smile, but it was better than nothing. Maybe, just maybe, things could be right again after all.

But then the taxi arrived, and it brought them back to reality.

The drive to his apartment was pretty much quiet. Then Sasuke asked the taxi driver to wait outside. He shoved a few clothes in his black messenger bag, along with his laptop of course. He glanced at Naruto before walking out the door.

"Wait!"

The blond ran towards him and pulled him into a hug. Sasuke didn't return the hug, but he didn't push him away.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered.

Sasuke pulled away and made a little smile, before going to sit in the taxi again. As it drove away, he didn't look back.

He felt like crying, but he sighed shakily and swallowed his tears. He needed to get a hold of himself. He would stay at the hotel with his agent for the weekend, and it would be a good thing. It would give him some time to think and figure out what to do next. He would probably put up an add for the apartment right away. Then he would buy his plane tickets for Tokyo and get ready to move.

He would find a new place there, as far away from Naruto's school as possible. Apparently they still needed some time apart, and Naruto still had some things to figure out. The only problem was, Sasuke wasn't so sure anymore if he wanted to wait for him…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Naruto sat on Sasuke's bed for a long time. He didn't really know why he was sitting there in particular. He didn't go through Sasuke's stuff or anything. He just sat on his bed and looked out the window. Once in a while he glanced at the picture on the bedside table. It was a picture of the two of them. It had been taken a couple years ago, when they had first moved in their apartment together. Ino had taken it.

It was kinda cute, Naruto thought with a sad smile. He was smiling of course, and Sasuke looked bored. But there was a glint in his dark eyes, unnoticeable if you didn't know him well. And Naruto was the only person who knew him well.

He had given him that framed picture as a present back then. Just like the framed picture he had wanted to give Tsunade…

He liked giving photographs as presents because nowadays people just didn't take the time to print them out anymore. And Naruto found that it was nice to decorate a room with pictures of people you loved.

He felt like such an idiot for trying to force Sasuke into a threesome… Why had he done that? He ran shaky fingers through his messy hair. He had wanted to try to make things right, and instead he had made things worst. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did he have to be so dense sometimes?

Well, they said acceptance was the first step…

Naruto sighed and stood up slowly. He turned off the light and closed the door, and then he went to sit on the sofa bed instead. He proceeded to take off his shirt and his jeans, and he lay down on the mattress, folding his arm under his head.

He checked his cell, but he didn't have any new messages. He had texted Sasuke a couple minutes ago, asking him to text him back when he got to the hotel safely. But Naruto was pretty sure the raven wouldn't do it.

Suddenly the door opened and he looked up. For a split second he hoped to see Sasuke come back, but of course it wasn't him. It was Fukami. He was laughing as he walked in the apartment.

"I let some guy blow me in the back seat of his car and then he gave me a ride for free," he shrugged and smiled.

Naruto gave a slight shrug. He really couldn't fucking care less right now.

"What's up? Where's our emo friend?"

He came to sit on the bed, and he caressed Naruto's leg. The latter pulled it away, and leaned back against the pillow.

"He went to sleep… somewhere else. At his agent's hotel room."

"So he's fucking his agent huh?" Fukami laughed.

"No," the blond closed his eyes and rested his head in his hand, "no he just didn't want to stay here with us."

The brunet shook his head, "That guy doesn't know how to have fun."

"Fukami you don't… even know him."

"I'm just sayin' he seems really boring," he shrugged, and leaned closer to Naruto.

But the latter pushed him away, "I'm sorry I'm not in the mood right now…"

"Okay," Fukami seemed disappointed, but he kept his distance at least. "You're boring like him tonight."

"Sasuke's not boring," Naruto said. "Stop talking about him when you don't even know him."

He lay down on his side and covered himself with the sheets. His back was facing the other.

"Just don't worry about it Naruto," he caressed his bare shoulder softly, "you didn't do anything wrong. If he didn't want us here he shouldn't have invited us. It's not your fault."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

At least Fukami went quiet after that. He lay down on the other side of the bed and didn't bother him anymore, and Naruto was grateful. Fukami fell asleep really quickly, whereas it took Naruto a long hour before finding rest.

…

Two days later Sasuke found himself at the airport with Shisaki, Naruto and his boyfriend. Sasuke was the only one staying behind, for now.

"Well," Shisaki smiled at him warmly, and put his hand on his shoulder, "take care of yourself Sasuke, and if you ever need anything else, don't hesitate to call me. I will see you as soon as you move back to Tokyo all right?"

"Of course," Sasuke smiled back, "thanks for letting me stay in your room this weekend I really appreciate."

"No problem at all."

He watched as Shisaki left to catch his plane, and then he turned his attention to Naruto and Fukami. They were just standing there rather awkwardly.

"Oh, here," Naruto suddenly said, and he gave him the keys to his apartment.

"Thanks," Sasuke gave a slight nod.

"I cleaned up before we left," the blond shrugged, "I hope it's okay."

"Thanks," Sasuke said again.

"Thanks for letting us stay at your place," Fukami said politely.

Well this conversation wasn't getting any less awkward…

Naruto was staring at him intently, but as gorgeous as his blue eyes were, it wasn't nearly enough for Sasuke to forgive him completely.

"Hope you guys had a great time in Kyoto," he added.

"We did," the brunet smiled, "I really like it here. I decided I'm gonna bring my sister here when she comes back to Japan this summer."

"That's nice." Sasuke said but of course he couldn't care less about Fukami's sister.

"Well, we need to go if we're gonna catch that plane," Fukami told his boyfriend.

"Hope you find someone to take your apartment soon," Naruto said.

He looked like he didn't want to go just yet. Like he had things to tell Sasuke but it just wouldn't come out.

"There's someone visiting it this afternoon actually," the raven informed.

"And if they take it you'll come back to Tokyo?" Naruto asked.

"Yes."

"Where are you gonna stay?"

"I'll figure it out," Sasuke said calmly, but he was annoyed.

Fukami took his boyfriend's hand, "We gotta go Naruto…"

"I'll see you soon then," the blond said, almost desperately.

Sasuke glanced away, "Yeah."

If they could just leave already…

Finally they walked away. Naruto looked back at him constantly. Sasuke was annoyed by it really, so he just left the airport quickly. What was Naruto trying to do anyway? To continue giving him false hopes that they would be together soon? Sasuke wasn't falling for it anymore.

He took the pubic transportation to get back home. He was in a really bad mood and he hated being near so many people though. He kind of wished he had taken the taxi again.

He arrived at his apartment expecting to find it really messy despite what Naruto had told him. But he was in for a surprise when he saw that it was almost sparkling clean. He really was shocked; to this day he had never seen Naruto clean up after himself. Sasuke had always done it for him.

His mood got a little better thanks to this. At least he didn't have to hurry and clean up the whole apartment before the person would come and visit later.

So in the afternoon the owner of the building came over, as well as the girl who wanted to visit the apartment. Sasuke pretty much let them discuss the terms together, that was fine by him. The girl made some attempts at talking to Sasuke and even flirting with him but he just found it extremely annoying. Thankfully she wasn't an idiot and she noticed this so she stopped.

She needed the apartment right away, for April.

"I'm really last minute I know," she told them, "but that's why, when I saw this offer I thought it was too good to be true!"

After her visit she took an appointment the next day with the landlord to sign all the required papers. And just like that, Sasuke was now practically free to go.

Later, in the evening, Sasuke was standing next to his bedroom window – it was still his bedroom for a few more days, anyway – smoking a cigarette. It was good to finally be alone, after this crazy week. He was enjoying the peace and quiet; for once he wasn't listening to any music. The silence was only broken by occasional cars driving down the street, or people walking by and talking animatedly.

He shivered in his light t-shirt, and after he had finished his cigarette he closed the window. He sat on his bed and picked up his laptop. Time to read the new chapter Gaara had sent him.

His lips twitched into a smile as he read it. Sasuke just loved his writing style. It was so shamelessly crude; he had never read anything like it before.

Basically in this chapter, the young werewolf guy held captive – the one inspired after Sasuke – instead of spitting the information led the enemies into a false location.

Of course they swore to kill him if it turned out this information wasn't true, but he did it anyway. And of course it ended with another god damn cliffhanger. It was the full moon so he transformed. But he was still tied up and he couldn't escape, and then he heard another wolf approaching the underground torture chamber, even though they were supposed to be all gone.

And it ended like that. Fucking Gaara…

Sasuke wrote him an email right away. But it wasn't just about his story; he had other things to ask him as well.

_You bastard you're doing it on purpose. You better continue writing and send me the rest really soon. _

_Look Gaara I have a favor to ask you. I know you're already sharing the house with your brother and sister, but do you think I could stay at your place just for a few days? The apartment here's already taken and I want to go back to Tokyo, except it's not that easy to find an apartment there. It would just be until I figure it out. _

_I'll be looking forward to your reply __(and your newest chapter of course)_

_Take care_

_Sasuke_

…

As Naruto and Fukami walked on the college campus towards the dorms building, the latter looked excited about something. It was just an impression, and Naruto wasn't really sure, but he looked really eager to get to the room. The blond just shrugged it off and continued walking in silence.

Personally he hadn't been too eager to get back. He didn't have a job anymore, and Sasuke was still the one paying for his studies. That made him feel even guiltier about the way he'd acted during their visit to Kyoto. Now he was coming back to school, to his dorm room with Fukami, to his life without Sasuke. A life he wasn't sure he liked.

They walked inside the building and stopped in front of their dorm room. A few people were back already, since classes were starting again in a few days. Naruto unlocked the door and stepped inside. Only after dropping his luggage on his side of the room did he notice there was something on his bed. A guitar case.

He was speechless as he turned to look at his boyfriend. The latter was smiling widely.

"Surprise," he said.

Naruto found his voice again, "You got this for me?"

The brunet shrugged, still smiling, "Not exactly. It's my old guitar. One of my father's guitars actually. I asked him to change the strings and to bring it here while we were in Kyoto. Are you happy?"

The blond opened the guitar case, and looked at the instrument in disbelief.

"Am I…? Of course I'm happy. I love it!" he finally returned his boyfriend's smile as he looked at him, "Oh my God thank you! This is great."

Fukami threw himself in his arms and held him tight. "I thought it would cheer you up."

"It's so sweet of you," Naruto said, then pulled away, "and your father… I mean, wow, that's really nice of him…"

"I told you my parents were cool," the brunet gave a slight shrug. "Hey why don't you try it?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. They sat together on his bed, each with their guitar, and Naruto tuned it. He was smiling as he started playing one of the songs Fukami had taught him. They were able to play together at the same time. It was creating such a better sound than when Naruto was playing on his own.

When the song was finished, Fukami smiled and nudged him in the ribs playfully, "We've got a really good sound together," he said as if reading his mind, "we should start a band."

He had said it as a joke, but Naruto actually gave it some thought.

"No we should," he eventually said, "we could look for a drummer, and a singer. Or I could sing."

"You're insane," the brunet chuckled, "but that's how I love you."

He tried to kiss him but Naruto turned his head so he kissed his cheek instead. It made him chuckle.

"So how would we call our band?"

"Hmm… we'll let the drummer decide."

The brunet laughed, "Why the drummer?"

"I don't know," the blond chuckled, "he'll feel more involved."

"Uh… okay…"

Fukami pushed him down on the bed and kissed his neck. Naruto finally gave in. But it didn't really mean anything to him. Not anymore - maybe it never had. Before things could go further Naruto flipped them over.

"You never let me be on top," Fukami whined.

"I like it up here," Naruto protested.

"And believe me I like having you on top of me," he smiled, "but… just once," he caressed Naruto's butt, "I'd like to show you how good it can feel…"

"Another time…"

"You always say that!"

Naruto pulled away, uncomfortable.

"Please," Fukami whispered.

"No I... sorry." He muttered and moved away from the bed. "I'm gonna go take a shower..."

"Do you want some company?"

"No," he said a little bit too quickly.

Fukami frowned, "Hum... All right… I'll just be right here practicing for our imaginary band." He tried to sound casual.

Naruto smiled at him but his heart wasn't into it.

…

_You're an idiot sometimes Sasuke. _

The raven chuckled as he read Gaara's message in the chat window. He was true to himself as always. He read the rest.

_Of course I would love to have you here. I have only one condition. You're staying in my bedroom. __So when are you coming over?_

And that was it.

"Wow," Sasuke chuckled to himself.

He had already packed his things. He had a big suitcase, his messenger bag and laptop case, and that was it. He had already bought his plane tickets.

He wrote a brief reply to Gaara.

_In two days. __I don't mind staying in your bedroom. I have only one condition. I'm sleeping on the couch._

Sasuke was about to close his laptop and go to sleep, when he realized that Gaara had already replied.

_You're not sleeping on the couch._

He laughed, and since he invited Gaara to a webcam chat conversation. It would be better than writing to each other like that.

Gaara accepted right away. He was on his bed, and he was…

"Are you naked?" Sasuke asked.

The red-head smiled, "No I've got boxers on. I can take them off if you want."

"No it's okay," he smiled back, amused.

"I could've asked you the same, you know."

Sasuke felt like an idiot now. He hadn't realized, but it was true, he was also shirtless. It was really late after all, and he was used to living alone at this point.

"I'm not naked," he reassured him.

Gaara looked disappointed. "I think I'm gonna add one condition. You have to sleep naked."

"No," Sasuke said.

"Damn it… well it was worth a shot."

The raven chuckled, and then changed the subject, "Hey why aren't you writing? I wanna know what happens in your story."

"All in good time. Be patient. Besides look who's talking? You told me you were writing another story, but you haven't sent me anything yet."

"Because it's crap."

"Don't say that," Gaara replied.

"I thought you hated my writing."

"I don't hate it. And you told me the next one would be darker so I was looking forward to it."

"Yeah I think you could say that it's darker."

"Well I wanna read it."

"I don't think I'm gonna finish it though. I lost my inspiration."

"Because Naruto's gone?"

"No. Because I… I think I don't love him anymore. Maybe I'm gonna write a new story instead of continuing this one. It'd be better."

"Maybe," Gaara shrugged, "so you don't love him anymore huh? That's interesting."

"Oh shut up," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You know, it's really turning me on to see you like this. But this poor quality video is killing me. It'll be so much better to see you for real."

He couldn't help but smile, "I'm looking forward to see you as well. It's been a while."

Gaara made a little smile, which was rare for him, and he sat more comfortably, "Yeah it's been way too long."

"I wanted to thank you," Sasuke said a little shyly, but he needed to tell him, "for being such a good friend to me. For being my only friend actually."

"Don't get sentimental on me."

"Sorry," he chuckled.

"But seriously what about that guy, Suigetsu? I thought you guys were still friends."

"You know how it is," Sasuke sighed, "exes… you pretend you're gonna still be friends but then you don't really make any effort…"

"Yeah I don't stay friends with my exes. I don't even pretend," Gaara said. "And what about Naruto?"

"It's… awkward I guess now, between us..."

Gaara actually looked a little bit saddened by his words, and for a moment there Sasuke thought he was gonna say something a best friend would say, maybe something like, I'll always be there for you… But again Gaara stayed true to himself.

"When you get here I'll give you the best fuck of your life, then you'll be all better."

Sasuke smiled. He liked Gaara just the way he was, after all.

"I'll see you in two days."

"Send me your flight info and I'll pick you up at the airport," Gaara replied.

"All right…"

But Gaara had already ended the conversation.

…

At school Naruto's grades started going up since he didn't have to work anymore. He made efforts and concentrated to have better marks on his tests and assignments.

With Fukami they continued practicing their music. Naruto was actually considering starting a band. This was one week after the incident when Fukami had wanted to top. They hadn't talked about it again.

Naruto's thoughts were elsewhere at the moment though. He had just checked his emails and as usual there was nothing from Sasuke. They didn't write to each other anymore. He'd actually had to learn from Sai, who was still randomly texting him sometimes, that Sasuke was now living with Gaara.

But in his emails he had an event invitation from Temari. There was a party at her place the next day, on Saturday night, to celebrate Sasuke's return to in town and his first movie role or something like that.

"What's up?" Fukami asked.

"Do you want to go to a party tomorrow?" he looked at his boyfriend, who was sitting on his bed and studying.

"Yeah sure," he nodded, "I mean I was supposed to go to my parent's house but I'll cancel."

"It's your call I mean…"

"No I'll cancel. I see them practically every weekend anyway."

"And you see me practically every day," Naruto chuckled.

Fukami closed his books and came to join him on his bed. He smiled and gave him a soft kiss.

"I want to meet your friends."

"I haven't talked to them in a while… and I need to tell you something."

"What?" He frowned slightly.

"Most of them still think I'm straight."

To his surprise Fukami burst out laughing.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing… but now I'm going for sure. Think about it! It'll be so funny to see their faces when you tell them I'm your boyfriend."

"Yeah," the blond admitted with a little smile, "my ex-girlfriends are gonna freak out."

"You mean your exes are gonna be there?"

"Yeah probably."

Fukami laughed again, "Even better!"

Naruto joined his laughter after that, and they decided to take a study break – not that Naruto was really studying, but Fukami didn't need to know that – to play guitar instead. They were playing songs that already existed of course, from bands that they liked, and they knew some of the lyrics, so they decided to try singing just for fun. It kind of sounded terrible.

"We should get a girl singer," Naruto suggested, "and then we could practice and maybe do back vocals."

Fukami smiled, "You're thinking way too much into this."

"I'm serious it would be totally cool! We should put ads on the net or something…"

"You're serious?"

"Yes," Naruto insisted, and he put his guitar away to pick up his laptop instead.

Fukami did likewise and sat right next to him, resting his head on his shoulder.

"What're you gonna write?"

Naruto thought about it for a moment, and then he started writing. Basically it said that they were two guitarists, and that they were looking for a drummer and a singer to form a pop rock band.

Fukami made sure there were no spelling errors or anything, and then they posted the ad.

"Shouldn't we have written a name for our band?" Fukami asked.

"Nah we'll find it when the band is complete," Naruto said.

"Just… don't cry if no one answers us."

The blond stared at him. "Of course we're gonna get answers. Everybody wants to be in a band. And then we'll hold auditions, it'll be awesome!"

"Where exactly are we gonna hold those auditions?" his boyfriend asked teasingly.

"Um…"

"And where are we gonna practice if this super special awesome band is really formed?"

"Maybe they'll have a place," Naruto motioned at his laptop, "or… I don't know we'll come up with something."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Yeah."

"Just checking."

Naruto shook his head slightly, "Shut up."

They kissed and Fukami surprised him by hugging him fiercely.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I love you."

Fuck, Naruto thought. Now he was supposed to say it back. He didn't even… feel like it. He didn't know what love was anymore. Was it love with Hinata, Ino or Sakura? No, it wasn't. He was sure of it. So then, had he ever been in love, at all?

Of course he loved Sasuke… He had loved him like a brother, like a best friend, and now… now he missed him. He dreamed about him every night. He missed him so much that it hurt.

How could he possibly tell Fukami that he loved him, when in a moment like this he was thinking about another man?

But the brunet pulled away and smiled, and then he returned to his studies. It looked like he didn't care if Naruto didn't say it back. So he didn't. He couldn't. And he didn't think he ever could.

A/N:

I know you all want Fukami to die. I'll see what I can do about that. (But seriously don't worry he won't be important like that for much longer... actually starting from next chapter he's barely there) so coming up next the party featuring some Gaara/Sasuke I'm pretty sure you're gonna like it (and yes i'm advertising cause i know this chapter was crap lol)


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next day Naruto and Fukami continued practicing their music. Just for fun they tried to come up with their own melodies instead of always playing the same famous songs. Whenever Naruto checked his emails, he was disappointed to see that no one had answered to his add yet. Of course, Fukami didn't lose any opportunity to make fun of him. But they were having a lot of fun together and it was all that mattered.

Naruto decided to keep his look simple for the party. Blue jeans, white tank top, black shirt, it would do. Fukami had other ideas. As Naruto watched, amused, he put on white skinny jeans and a dark pink v-neck t-shirt.

"Oh wow," Naruto laughed, "I guess you really want to give them a shock."

Fukami shrugged, "Why not?"

"Why do you have clothes like that anyway?"

"To go out and meet hot guys. But I already have you so I don't need to," he leaned in for a kiss.

"All right let's go," Naruto said when they pulled away.

They took the bus to get to the Sabaku residence. It reminded Naruto of when he had taken the very same bus with Sasuke, for New Year's Eve party. It seemed like a lifetime ago. They had still been happy together back then. As best friends – confused best friends maybe, but still… And now confusion had turned into nothing. Being apart hadn't helped their relationship after all.

Once again they lived in the same town, and yet they weren't talking to each other anymore. But Naruto was hopeful that maybe, by showing up to this party, he could make up with Sasuke. They could at least be friends again, maybe even hang out sometimes… maybe even go on a date. He smiled at the idea. Why not? It would be great.

He decided he would ask Sasuke tonight, actually. After he had made this decision he felt better. He was in a very good mood when he got off the bus with Fukami, and they walked towards the mansion where the party was held.

The weather was nicer now. Winter was finally over, and they didn't need to wear jackets anymore. Even though it was the evening the sky wasn't completely dark yet. Everything seemed to make Naruto smile right now. He realized he was simply happy to see Sasuke again, and to have the opportunity to make things better. After all, it was never too late.

His happiness was short lived.

Sasuke opened the door. But that wasn't the problem. He made a little smile, actually, and Naruto smiled back. Sasuke looked great as always; he wore black jeans and a wide neck, dark blue long sleeve shirt.

But then Gaara appeared behind Sasuke, and encircled his arms around his thin waist. He kissed Sasuke's neck softly and looked up.

"Oh hey Naruto, come in."

Naruto was fuming. Fucking Gaara. He was doing it on purpose. But, he had to calm down. It wasn't like he was alone, anyway.

"Gaara this is my boyfriend Fukami."

"I'm probably not gonna remember your name," Gaara said, making Sasuke chuckle.

Then Temari made her appearance as well, saving the awkward situation.

"Oh hey Naruto!"

"Hi," he said, and then introduced his boyfriend again.

When he looked back at Sasuke and Gaara, they were already walking away towards the living room. As if they couldn't care less that Naruto was here. Then he turned his attention back to Temari, and then he remembered this party was sort of his coming out.

She did look somewhat shocked.

As they followed Temari in the hallway Naruto got a better view of what was going on in the living room. Of course he was only looking at two people in particular.

Sasuke actually returned his glance. But then he looked back at Gaara and smiled. And then they kissed. Naruto frowned. He felt so fucking jealous. It was even worst than what he felt back when Sasuke was with Suigetsu.

Temari said something about getting them beers, but Naruto barely heard her.

"You okay?" Fukami asked him quietly.

"Yeah… guess I'm just nervous."

"Don't be," the brunet shrugged, "this is fun."

"Yeah… fun."

Not exactly…

It turned out they were far from being the only gay couple at this party. Of course there was Sasuke and Gaara, but there was also Sai and a tall brunet guy with a tattoo sleeve.

Naruto went to sit next to Sai on the couch, and Fukami sat next to Naruto.

In front of them were Sakura, Ino and Kankuro.

"Hi Naruto!" the two girls exclaimed happily at once.

"Hey," he smiled. "Oh, hum, everyone this is Fukami, and Fukami this is Sakura, Ino, Kankuro," he turned to look at Sai, "Sai and…?"

"Oh this is Shiro," Sai informed.

Temari came back with two beers for Naruto and Fukami. They thanked her and started drinking right away. In Naruto's case, he really fucking needed some alcohol in his system right now…

It didn't help that Gaara and Sasuke were sitting in one of the lounge chairs together, really, really close. And they kept whispering and smiling at each other like fucking thirteen year olds…

"Are you okay?" Fukami asked him, "You're drinking really fast…"

"Yeah I'm fine," Naruto forced a smile.

Sakura cleared her throat, "So Sasuke told me you guys are roommates?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke and raised a brow. Was that all he had told them? The raven ignored him. Gaara was whispering in his ear again, and it made Sasuke chuckle. Naruto gulped down some more beer.

Seeing that he wasn't answering, Fukami spoke for him, "Yeah we're roommates."

The two girls, as well as Kankuro were looking at them curiously. Of course, they were the ones that didn't know. Naruto wondered if they should just tell them bluntly…

Actually he didn't have to.

"So how long have you guys been together?" Sai asked casually.

"Three months," Fukami answered just as casually.

Ino and Sakura looked shocked and intrigued at the same time. Kankuro burst out laughing.

"I knew about you right away dude, no offense," he told Fukami, "but I wasn't sure about Naruto."

The blond shrugged helplessly, "Now you know."

Sakura and Ino were still staring at him.

"So you're…" Sakura started.

"…Gay?" Ino finished for her.

Naruto shrugged again.

"Who needs labels?" Sai asked.

"Well said," Fukami smiled at him, "so how long have _you_ guys been together?"

Sai's date answered defensively, "Oh, no, we're just friends, I'm straight actually…"

Sai leaned closer to Naruto to whisper in his ear, "Doesn't stop him from fucking me in the ass…"

The blond laughed, and then whispered in Sai's ear as well, "You really like converting straight guys don't you?"

"Oh they're not straight," Sai replied, "they just don't know it yet."

Naruto chuckled, and then glanced around the room and realized other conversations had started. Well the whole coming out thing hadn't been so bad.

"Do you know if Hinata's bringing her new boyfriend?" Sakura asked Ino.

"I'm not sure… I don't even know who he is."

"What about Kiba is he coming?" Kankuro asked.

"I don't know," the blonde girl crossed her legs, and took a sip of her drink, "we broke up," she explained, "for those who didn't know."

Naruto didn't really care about that. He glanced at Sasuke. The latter looked away quickly. Clearly he had been staring. Naruto wondered, was this some sort of silly game? Were they making each other jealous now? Well if that was the case, then two could play at it.

Naruto leaned a little closer and kissed Fukami. It was very brief, but it still made everyone in the room quiet.

"I'm sorry it's just weird," Sakura laughed nervously.

"What's weird?" Sai inquired calmly.

"To see Naruto kiss a guy," she explained.

"You know, Naruto," Ino said, "I always thought that if you'd end up being gay for someone, it would be Sasuke."

An awkward silence followed, during which people cleared their throats and sipped their beer or cocktail. It was broken by Gaara.

"Well he lost his chance," he made a light chuckle and kissed Sasuke.

Naruto glanced away. "I'm gonna go get another beer," he muttered.

He did just that, and on his way back from the kitchen he heard knocks at the door. Temari hurried to go answer, and Naruto followed her, curious as to who it was – and eager to stay away from Sasuke and Gaara for as long as possible.

It was Kiba and… Hinata. And they were holding hands. Naruto couldn't help but smile.

"Well isn't this party full of surprises," Temari exclaimed.

"You guys," Naruto laughed as he stepped closer. He couldn't find his words.

Hinata shrugged helplessly, and a light blush colored her cheeks. Kiba smiled, looking like the happiest man in the world, as he placed his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know how to say this Naruto," Kiba said, "you were right about Ino, it didn't work out. Because now I'm with the woman of my dreams!"

Hinata rolled her eyes, "You could at least say hi to him first!"

Kiba laughed and stepped closer to Naruto. They shook hands and Kiba slapped his shoulder.

"It's good to see you man, it's been a while."

Hinata joined them, and hugged Naruto briefly. The latter couldn't stop smiling.

"I'm so happy for you guys. I always thought you'd make the perfect couple, 'cause I don't know you just complete each other!"

"Naruto's right," Temari said, "you guys are really cute together."

Ino didn't react as well as them though. As soon as she saw Hinata and Kiba together, her eyes widened in shock. She got up and brought a hand to her mouth.

"I wanted to tell you," Hinata said softly.

"I started dating her after I broke up with you I promise," Kiba told her.

Naruto put his hand on Kiba's shoulder, "I don't think this is helping…"

Ino quickly walked passed them and stormed out of the house.

Kankuro was the first one to react. "Do you guys think she's okay? Someone should go check up on her…"

As he said this he rushed outside without waiting for an answer. Fukami stood up and leaned closer to Naruto.

"God this party is like a freakin' drama tv show…"

"I know." Naruto agreed.

"You guys should've told her," Sakura exclaimed, "before the party at least…"

"It's very recent," Hinata said sadly, "we didn't even tell anyone…"

"Hey where's Sasuke anyway?" Kiba suddenly asked, "Isn't this party supposed to be for him?"

"And where's Gaara?" Temari asked.

"They just disappeared," Sakura said.

On the couch behind Naruto, Sai chuckled and said, "Gee I wonder what they're doing."

"Maybe I should go get them," Temari frowned, "this is kinda rude of them…"

"No," Naruto said a little bit too quickly, and the others looked at him curiously, "I mean… I'm sure they'll come back soon."

He hoped he was wrong though. He really didn't need to see more of Sasuke and Gaara's look-at-how-much-we-love-each-other performance right now.

"Naruto's right," Sai said, standing, and Naruto mentally thanked him, "why don't we all go get some more drinks? This is a party or what?"

"Yeah," Fukami agreed, "I like how you think Sai."

Sakura and Temari were drinking wine, and Naruto, Fukami, Kiba and Sai's 'straight' date were drinking beer. As for Sai and Hinata, they instead made some mix of strong liquor and fruit juice. Once they all had their drinks they returned to the living room to sit in a circle, while Temari put some dance music on.

"Are there any other people supposed to come?" Sakura inquired.

"Sasuke said he had invited another friend," Temari frowned, "but I can't remember his name."

"Suigetsu?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, yeah I think that was it," she said.

So Suigetsu was gonna come. How great. Naruto found himself drinking very quickly. Some conversations started here and there but Naruto didn't feel like being a part of any of them.

At some point Kiba stared at Fukami, "So who're you?"

"Oh I'm Naruto's boyfriend actually…"

Kiba's eyes went wide.

"I'm gonna go get another beer," Naruto said.

…

"Do you think we should go back?"

Gaara looked up at him. He was lying down on his side, with his arm folded under his head. His fingers were tracing circles on Sasuke's chest and stomach absent mindedly.

"No."

The raven chuckled and turned on his side to face Gaara. The latter brought his fingers to Sasuke's ribs.

"Stop it," he whispered, pushing Gaara's hand away.

"You never told me you were ticklish," Gaara said matter-of-factly.

Of course he tried to brush his fingers against Sasuke's sensitive skin again, and the latter had to push his hand away.

"It's not exactly something you just randomly tell someone. Hi, my name is Uchiha Sasuke, I'm 21, professional model and actor, oh yeah and I'm ticklish."

"But I'm not just anyone. I want you to tell me all of your secrets. Even the dirty ones," Gaara made a wicked smile as he continued tickling him.

Sasuke pushed his hand in annoyance. "Stop it…"

But it only excited Gaara more. He turned him on his back and climbed on top of him, and then he took his wrists and pinned them above his head. Gaara always did that. For Sasuke's defense, the red-head was a lot stronger than he looked.

Of course with his other hand, he brushed his fingers painfully slowly and lightly all along Sasuke's sides.

It was kind of a turn on and annoying at the same time for Sasuke. Still, he struggled to get free and Gaara laughed.

"You're kinda adorable you know that?"

Sasuke locked onyx eyes with pale green. He didn't particularly enjoy being tickled and called adorable; it was kind of humiliating. But it was so rare for Gaara to be smiling and laughing like that. Sasuke couldn't be truly mad at him.

The red-head leaned closer and kissed his forehead, his nose and his lips. His kiss went from soft to passionate, and almost aggressive. He eventually let go of Sasuke's wrists to instead wrap his arms around him and pull him up in a sitting position. The raven had no choice but to place his legs around the other.

They were both hard at this point, and whenever their erections would rub against each other Sasuke moaned through the kiss. It made Gaara smile.

"I like the sounds you make."

"Yeah?"

Instead of replying Gaara gave him another bruising kiss. He ran his hands through Sasuke's long hair and then slid them down his back, only to pull him even closer.

When he pulled away again he whispered, "How about you tell me your dirty secrets now?"

"What're you talking about?" Sasuke chuckled, and tried to kiss him again.

But Gaara pulled away teasingly, "I found the handcuffs and blindfold in your stuff last night."

"You went through my stuff when I was asleep?"

"Yeah," Gaara said casually.

"Why would you do that?" Sasuke asked, but somehow he wasn't even mad.

"Cause I felt like it."

"Well that's kinda not cool…"

Gaara ignored his comment, "Maybe we should try it," he whispered in his ear, before biting it.

"Or not… what're you doing… fuck be careful are you trying to rip off my piercings or something?"

The red-head chuckled in his ear, and it made him shiver in desire.

"You know you like it…"

Sasuke didn't deny it. As a matter of fact he really liked everything that they were doing with Gaara so far. They hadn't gone all the way yet, but they had done a lot of things...

"I think," the red-head said slowly, "you're ready now."

"For what?" Sasuke whispered, locking eyes with him.

Gaara lifted his fingers to brush his bangs aside. Then he kissed his lips, and he pushed him down on the bed, in the middle of the messy dark red sheets. Sasuke frowned curiously as he reached for his drawer.

Gaara smirked as he took out the handcuffs.

"Why would you put those in your drawer?"

"Shh… no more talking."

Before he could protest or free himself Gaara had grabbed both his wrists again.

"What're you doing?"

"What does it look like?" he said teasingly, "tying you up to my bed."

Gaara somehow managed to do exactly as he had said, in a record time. Before he realized what was happening to him, Sasuke had his hands tied up to the metallic headboard.

"Did you practice with those or something?"

"Yeah," the red-head said.

Dark eyes widened, "I knew I should've stayed in the guest room."

The red-head laughed and leaned closer to kiss his neck, "Aw Sasuke… I was kidding. But right now, I'm very serious."

Sasuke frowned, "Just untie me we should get back to the others…"

Gaara pulled away and pretended to be thoughtful, "Boring conversations with pricks and bitches or fucking the cute guy tied up to my bed. Though choice."

"Stop joking…"

He smirked and caressed his ribs, making him flinch slightly, and then his butt... He looked up.

"Oh I'm not joking."

Sasuke was really craving for more. But with his hands tied up like this, it was torture. Gaara was caressing his body restlessly and he couldn't even touch him. He couldn't even do anything.

He reached for his second drawer, took out some lube and proceeded to apply it on his cock. Then he smiled, and took out another item; the blindfold.

"No…" Sasuke protested.

"You saying no makes me want to do it even more," Gaara replied.

"You're a sick pervert."

"And you like it."

"Just… don't… I want to see you…"

Despite his protests Gaara blindfolded him. He really couldn't see anything through the thick black fabric. Now he couldn't move, and he couldn't see anything. He swallowed hard, and his heart started beating really fast. He felt extremely vulnerable like this. Instinctively he tried to free his hands.

He heard Gaara laugh softly.

"It's not funny…"

"You're right it's not… it's extremely hot…"

Suddenly Gaara picked up his legs, placing them over his shoulders. Sasuke felt scared and excited at the same time.

"Please untie me I…"

He gasped when Gaara slid inside of him without any warning.

"You feel so good," Gaara whispered. He continued thrusting inside of him intensely and Sasuke moaned.

"I…"

"What is it babe?" Gaara asked teasingly.

"I wanna see you… touch you…"

He heard Gaara's breathing becoming louder. He couldn't repress a moan of pure pleasure as he rimmed inside of him even faster and harder.

Suddenly Gaara let go of his legs, and instead he leaned closer and kissed him roughly, while he continued making love to him. The mix of pleasure and pain, and all those sensations were driving Sasuke crazy. It was so strange not to be able to see, and touch his lover. But at the same time, the sensations felt so much more intense. Everything was heightened, every touch, every kiss…

Gaara slowed his pace a little. Softly, he caressed his arms, his face, his neck and his torso. He kissed his neck intensely, surely leaving marks. Sasuke was biting his lips, trying to repress his moans.

"Don't," the red-head whispered huskily, "I want you to scream for me…"

And again, very suddenly he started going faster. This time Sasuke couldn't repress his moans, and of course Gaara was loving it…

"You have the sexiest voice…"

He gripped his hips tightly and Sasuke tilted his head back in the pillows. He was so close…

Suddenly the door opened, and they both jumped and stopped their movements.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry I thought this was the bathroom...!"

That was Sakura's voice.

"Yeah," Gaara said, "well you got a good stare, but now would be a good time to close the door and leave…"

"Sorry!" she said again, and closed the door.

"Oh my God…" Sasuke whispered.

Gaara burst out laughing, and he leaned closer to kiss his neck, as if to comfort him.

"Why didn't you lock your fucking door?"

"It's more exciting that way," Gaara whispered before biting his nipple.

Sasuke hissed and tilted his head back, "Where were we?"

"That's more like it," Gaara said, and Sasuke just knew that he was smirking.

It wasn't long before they came together, and Gaara collapsed on top of him.

"Gaara?"

"Yeah?" he asked innocently.

"You can untie me now."

"Now, why would I want to do that?" he said teasingly.

He pulled away and stood up. Sasuke frowned; he was starting to get worried. Especially when he heard the sound of Gaara putting his pants back on. And the door was opened.

"Gaara it's not funny…"

"Don't worry lover I'll be right back."

He closed the door and left.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me…" Sasuke muttered, and he tried to free himself, but it wasn't working of course.

He tried to use his feet to cover himself up with the sheets at little. Seriously, he thought, what the fuck was Gaara thinking? What if someone walked in again?

Whatever he was doing, it was taking him forever. Being tied up to a bed like this wasn't the most comfortable position in the world. And also he was starting to get cold.

"Gaara?" he called.

No answer. He sighed.

But then the door was opened.

"What the hell took you so long?"

"Holy shit…"

That wasn't Gaara's voice. That was Naruto's voice. And he sounded drunk.

Sasuke crawled in the bed, bringing his legs closer to hide himself as much as possible. This was so fucking humiliating…

"What the fuck…"

Sasuke sighed desperately, "Instead of just standing there and cursing could you at least help me out?"

Suddenly a feminine voice, Ino's if Sasuke wasn't mistaken, exclaimed from the hallway, "Oh my God is that Sasuke?"

"You could also close the damn door," the raven hissed.

Naruto closed the door right away. But he still wasn't helping him out of this…

"Naruto this isn't cool…"

"So you were having fun with Gaara all this time huh?"

"If you're not gonna help me just get out of here," he replied angrily.

Instead he came to sit on the bed next to him. Sasuke crawled away from him as much as he could. Humiliating was an understatement.

"Admit it Sasuke you're doing all this just to make me jealous."

"You're drunk."

"Just admit it!" he exclaimed.

Sasuke felt something cold and wet on his stomach and he flinched.

"What the fuck? Did you just spill beer on me? Just get away from me!"

"Oh, hum, it's not beer it's like, vodka and…"

"I don't care just get the fuck away from me!"

Suddenly the door was opened again. Sasuke felt like crying at this point…

"What the fuck's going on here?"

That was Gaara's voice. Sasuke was relieved and pissed off at the same time.

"What the hell took you so fucking long?"

Gaara ignored his question, "Get out Naruto."

"Why? Maybe I wanna stay."

"Get out, now," Gaara said threateningly.

Naruto got up from the bed, "No."

"Guys I can't feel my fucking arms anymore," Sasuke said.

"I'll help you," Naruto said, but he was clearly pulled away by Gaara.

"I said get the fuck out!"

Of course, Sasuke couldn't see, but from what he heard he guessed that Gaara was literally throwing Naruto out of his room. Then he closed the door, and this time he locked it.

Then he hurried to the bed and untied Sasuke's hands. The raven took off the blindfold and threw it on the floor. He hugged himself and glared at Gaara.

"What the fuck," he said in a low, threatening voice, "were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry," Gaara said sincerely, "I just wanted to get this," he held up a wet cloth in his hand.

Sasuke took it from him.

He cleaned himself and then threw it on the bed. After that he stood and started looking for his clothes.

"Sasuke it's not a big deal," Gaara said, "he was so drunk, he's not even gonna remember this tomorrow, seriously you should've seen him…"

"I couldn't 'cause I was fucking blindfolded."

Gaara stood and put his hands on his trembling shoulders. "Sasuke are you crying?"

"No," he shoved him away roughly, and wiped his tears in frustration. He hated being humiliated like that.

He sighed, and tried to calm himself to at least keep the little dignity he had left – if he had any. He managed to get dressed, and then he stormed out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Gaara asked, but Sasuke didn't bother answering him.

He ignored all the others and stormed out of the house. He just needed to get some air…

"Sasuke?"

He spun and looked at who was addressing him. It was Suigetsu. The next instant they were hugging.

"It's been forever!" Suigetsu exclaimed. "I was afraid I was too late for the party."

"I'm not going back in there," Sasuke muttered as they pulled away.

"Are you okay?" his ex frowned as he looked at him.

"Not really."

"So you're not going back to the party?"

"No fucking way," Sasuke muttered and started walking again.

He didn't want Gaara or Naruto catching up to him.

Suigetsu followed him, "Well then I'm not going either I mean I came here to see you."

"I'm sorry…" he wiped his eyes in annoyance, "I'm uh… tired…"

"Like I'm gonna buy that."

"It's true… I had a… photo shoot yesterday and…"

It wasn't even a lie. On top of everything, he really was worn out.

"Honestly Sasuke… you look like you just fucked," he chuckled and reached out to ruffle his hair.

But the raven stepped away so quickly that he almost tripped. He caught himself and continued walking really fast, with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you scared of me or something?" Suigetsu frowned.

He caught up to him and grabbed his arm to stop him. This time Sasuke really did trip and he fell into Suigetsu's arms. He couldn't control his trembling or his tears anymore. Suigetsu wrapped his arms around him comfortingly, and held him close.

"Hey, it's okay…"

Sasuke had no idea why he was so upset. It wasn't just because everybody had seen him blindfolded and tied up to a bed – even though that played a good part. But also Naruto's accusing voice was replaying, over and over again, in his head like a broken record…

_Admit it Sasuke you're doing all this just to make me jealous! Just admit it!_

Why did it hurt so much? Because… because he was right. Sasuke had thought he had moved on. He hadn't.

Seeing Naruto tonight, with that guy Fukami and his stupid pink shirt, it had just hurt as much as ever… maybe even more…

"Why don't we go out for drinks?" Suigetsu asked when he had calmed down a little, "And you can tell me all about it."

Sasuke shook his head, glancing away.

"Coffee then? Or something to eat? You look like you lost weight. I just wanna feed you a hamburger or something."

The raven made a weak smile. "I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too," Suigetsu said back, "you know what? We should go to my place and I'll make you one of those hot drinks you loved so much."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"We're just friends, remember?" Suigetsu said, and Sasuke looked up at him. He went on, "I promise I won't try anything. To tell you the truth, I'm seeing someone right now."

Sasuke smiled, "That's great," he said sincerely, "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Suigetsu smiled back.

He put his arm around his shoulders comfortingly as they started walking again. In a silent agreement they went to Suigetsu's place as the latter had suggested.

They pretty much stayed quiet the whole time. They only started talking once they were inside Suigetsu's small apartment, sitting on the sofa with their drinks that Suigetsu had made as promised.

"This is really good. You haven't lost your talent Mister Bartender."

"Glad you like it," Suigetsu smiled, then said, "so are you finally gonna tell me what happened to you tonight?"

Sasuke glanced at him sideways. Then he sighed. He took a sip of his drink, and then he put it down on the low table. And then he told him.

He didn't only tell him about tonight. He told him about Gaara and their fucked up relationship. Then he told him about Naruto and their fucked up relationship. He told him about how Naruto and Fukami had acted in Kyoto.

He told him about how he had decided to go live with Gaara. And then, finally, he told him about what had just happened at the party. When he was finished Suigetsu was smiling.

"So you finally got to use that bondage kit huh? Sorry I missed that," he teased.

"It's not funny," Sasuke muttered.

"I know," Suigetsu tried to pull him into a hug, "poor baby…"

Sasuke pushed him away, "Stop it…"

"All right," the silver-haired guy pulled away, "sorry. I'll tell you what I think. I think…" he took a deep breath, "First of all I think Naruto's an idiot. Bringing his boyfriend to visit you, that was really stupid. Of course you were gonna feel like the third wheel, what was he thinking! And then trying to force you into a threesome like that…"

"I don't need you to remind me of everything that happened," the raven muttered, and took another sip of his drink.

"I'm sorry," Suigetsu shook his head, "I just wanted to say, he's an idiot. But… I also think he's confused…"

"He's been confused for months!" Sasuke exclaimed, "Just how long is he gonna stay fucking confused? Because of him I broke up with you, and now – again – because of him what I have with Gaara is probably ruined… And I mean he has a boyfriend! So what he can have a boyfriend and I can't? I'm supposed to stay single and wait for him my whole life?"

Suigetsu rubbed his back soothingly, "Look, sweety, I think he loves you. But he doesn't know what to do. He's probably scared to settle down so young."

"What do you mean settle down?" Sasuke frowned, "It's not like I proposed to him or anything."

"I'm really not defending him," Suigetsu replied, "like I said before I think he's an idiot. But I guess what I'm saying is, he knows that if he actually gets together with you, it's gonna be a serious long term relationship. Maybe that scares him. He's scared by his love for you."

"For someone who's not defending him, it sure sounds like it…" the raven muttered.

"Sorry," Suigetsu chuckled, "now, do you want to hear what I think about that Gaara guy?"

"Sure whatever."

"He's weird. Stay away from him."

Sasuke laughed as he looked up at his friend, "Thanks for the advice, but I think I know how to take care of myself."

"I'm serious!" Suigetsu exclaimed, "From what you've told me, the guy sounds like he wants to turn you into a bondage slave."

"Well I'm never letting him do that again…"

"Good," Suigetsu said firmly.

"Thanks for listening to me. This is like, the second time you've saved me from a night of wandering aimlessly like a pissed off idiot."

"Glad I could help," he chuckled.

"Why don't you tell me all about your life, and your new boyfriend?" Sasuke shrugged, "It's the least I can do."

"Sasuke I don't want you to listen to me just because you feel like you have to…"

"No, no, I want to. Just tell me… everything."

He actually wanted to be a good friend to someone for a change. And he was sick and tired of talking about himself.

So Suigetsu started talking, and he listened to him intently. The bartender told him all about this new boyfriend of his. Apparently they had so much in common, he was so cute, and he was funny, and smart, plus he was the new assistant cook at Suigetsu's restaurant so they could see each other at work. Sasuke was smiling by the end of Suigetsu's little speech about his boyfriend. He really was happy for him.

At some point he yawned, "I think I'm just gonna go to sleep. You wanna stay here?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head even though he was really tired, "I think I'm gonna go back to the party. I've got to face my fears, right?"

"What fears exactly?"

"…Naruto."

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Suigetsu asked, worried.

"Yeah," Sasuke tried to reassure Suigetsu and himself at the same time.

So he returned outside and started walking again. It was really late, he was tired, and that was a lot of walking, but it was okay. It was helping him clear his mind.

Well, he was about to find out what was going on at that stupid party now…


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It turned out there wasn't much going on at the party. The house was quiet and the lights were all off. But it was really late at this point. Sasuke threw his cigarette on the ground and crushed it with his sneaker before going inside. The door wasn't locked.

He walked down the hallway, and noticed that Sai and his date – unsurprisingly Sasuke couldn't remember his name – were sleeping on the couch, all tangled up together. Yeah, if that guy was straight than Ino and Sakura were lesbians.

Sasuke also glimpsed in the guest room. The door wasn't closed so he poked his head in, curious. Naruto and Fukami were sleeping on the double bed, with all their clothes on. Naruto had his arm around the brunet and the latter was resting his head on his chest. Sasuke cursed himself for feeling jealous. He glanced away, and went to walk up the stairs.

Temari and Kankuro's bedroom doors were closed, and so was Gaara's. Sasuke decided to take a shower. He didn't give a shit if he woke the others up. The hot water was soothing, but still he hurried up to clean himself because he was really tired and he didn't want to pass out in the bathroom or something.

When he was done he wrapped a towel around his waist and he made his way to Gaara's bedroom. He was surprised to find the red-head still awake.

Sasuke closed the door and went to sit on the couch. He ran his fingers through his long wet hair, and then looked at Gaara. The latter was sitting calmly at his desk, seemingly working on his laptop. Slowly he turned to return Sasuke's glance.

"I thought I'd get some work done since I couldn't sleep. I was worried about you."

The raven glanced away, "I just… needed to take a walk."

"A two hours walk?"

"I ran into Suigetsu and we… went to his place."

"I hope you're not too sore."

Sasuke glared at him, "We didn't fuck, Gaara. We just talked. He has a boyfriend. And that's not the point, even if he didn't have a boyfriend we wouldn't have done anything."

"I thought you said he didn't really want to stay friends with you?"

"I guess I misjudged him. He was really nice to me actually."

Sasuke walked up to the dresser. Gaara had emptied a drawer for him when he had moved in. He picked up some clean boxers and put them on. Then he returned to lie down on the couch, and used the blanket to cover himself up.

On the meantime Gaara closed his laptop and came to sit on his bed in front of Sasuke.

"You're really gonna sleep on the couch?"

Sasuke glared as an answer.

The red-head glanced away, scratched his hair and then massaged the back of his neck.

"Listen… I'm sorry about what happened…"

"I know you don't like to apologize so save it," Sasuke snapped at him.

Gaara looked at him, and then glanced away again.

"Think what you want, but I really mean it. I regret leaving you tied up like that, it was stupid."

"Yes it was."

"I wanted to go to the bathroom to get something to clean you up. I wanted to come back to you and then clean you up while you were still tied up I guess…"

"How nice."

"Look I already admitted it was stupid. But I'm just trying to explain. I didn't think anyone would open my bedroom door. Anyway I didn't think I would be gone long. But all the girls and fucking Sai and Naruto's boyfriend all needed to pee at the same time I swear… they wouldn't even let me go in the bathroom in my own damn house."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at this.

"But hey don't worry about it okay? They were all way too drunk they're not even gonna remember anything. I'm not kidding. You should've been there for the rest of the party. It was… fucked up."

He couldn't help being curious. "Really?"

"Yes," Gaara gave a slight nod, "my brother and Ino were making out like crazy. My sister went to bed early I think she was the only one who wasn't drunk. Some people were dancing in the living room… Sakura was dancing alone. Sai and that… other guy were dancing together. And… Hinata was so drunk. I swear I never saw her like this before. Kiba started dancing and he took off his shirt. Hinata imitated him, so she had just her bra. And they danced and made out like crazy…"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Sasuke chuckled, "Hinata…"

"Yup. Oh and this is the best part. When Naruto and his boyfriend started dancing with the rest, Kiba talked to them..."

"What did he say?"

"Random bullshit straight guys tell their gay friends," Gaara shook his head in disbelief, "I heard everything. I was trying to clean up a little… anyway. He like, threw himself at Naruto and told him, you know what? I don't care if you're gay. Good for you. You're still my friend dude."

Sasuke almost laughed at Gaara's imitation.

The red-head looked at him and made a little smile, "I went to the kitchen to clean up some more, and when I returned to the living room, Kiba was grinding Naruto's boyfriend, and Hinata was grinding Kiba. Naruto was just watching and laughing…"

"Oh wow… maybe I should've stayed."

"Naruto would've been a pain in the ass though. He already kinda was. He kept coming to me and asking me, where's Sasuke? Where are you hiding him? I wanna see him. And I was trying to be calm, like, he went outside Naruto. He's not here. And he was pissed at me," Gaara chuckled, "he said he didn't believe me."

Sasuke face palmed, "Naruto can be such an idiot…"

"He's even more of an idiot when he's drunk."

The raven said nothing. There was a long silence after this.

"Come sleep here with me," Gaara eventually said.

"No. I haven't forgiven you yet."

"Don't be a bitch."

"I'm not being a bitch I just wanna sleep on the fucking couch."

"You know," Gaara said slowly as he looked at him, "this is all new for me. Normally when I date people, I get sick and tired of them really quickly. And if we start arguing I just don't bother. I break up and kick them out or whatever. But with you… it's different. I…"

Sasuke cut him, "Please don't say it."

"I was gonna say I care about you."

"…Go to sleep."

Gaara ignored him, and moved to sit on the couch next to Sasuke.

"Do you remember what I told you about relationships? There's always one person that loves the other more. I never thought I'd be that person one day."

"Don't get sentimental on me."

Gaara chuckled, "I've really taught you well haven't I?"

"Go to bed."

"Only if you come with me."

"No."

"Fine. Then I'll sleep here too."

"You're being annoying."

"You know what? Fuck it."

Gaara slid his arms under him and before he could protest he picked him up.

"What're you doing! Put me down already!"

He put him down, but on his bed – of course – and then he kept his arms around him tightly so that he couldn't get away.

"All right, all right, fine I'll sleep on your god damn bed just get off me already!"

Gaara chuckled but he did as he was told. Sasuke curled up on his side, his back facing the other.

"Good night Sasuke."

"Shut up."

…

He woke up late the next day. Gaara was still sleeping with his arm around him. He pushed it away softly and sat up in the bed. He felt better now; well-rested at least. The events from last night weren't such a big deal anymore, and he felt like an idiot for being such a mess.

Sasuke put on some black jeans and t-shirt and he made his way to the bathroom. But there was already someone in there. Suddenly Kankuro walked out of his bedroom and walked up to the bathroom as well. He knocked at the door softly.

"Ino, are you okay in there?"

A weak feminine voice said, "I… I don't know…"

Sasuke raised a brow at him, as if to say, good luck with that, and then he made his way downstairs. But of course, the bathroom there was occupied as well.

He was considering going in the backyard to pee on a bush or something, when he heard Naruto's voice.

"Just what the hell did Sai put in those drinks anyway…"

Sasuke opened the door softly; it wasn't locked. Naruto was wearing his jeans and tank top and he was sitting on the floor his hair was all messy and he looked really tired and sick.

"You're talking to yourself now?" Sasuke said.

The other made a little smile, "Yeah."

"You okay?" he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms.

"No…"

"Where's your boyfriend?"

"Still sleeping… Yours?"

"Same. Naruto can I ask you a question?"

He looked up, "Yeah?"

"What do you remember from last night?"

He frowned, glanced away, clearly trying to remember what he could. Sasuke's heart started beating a little faster. He really, really wanted Gaara to be right about people being way too drunk to remember the… incident.

"Fuck all," Naruto eventually said, chuckling, "I was so fucking drunk… I really don't know what Sai put in those drinks…"

"You said something about vodka and juice," Sasuke recalled, relieved that Naruto didn't remember anything.

The blond threw up in the toilet. When he was done he flushed it and rinsed his mouth in the sink. Sasuke bit his lip slightly, uncertain as to what he should do. Naruto let himself fall back on the floor. He looked like he was in so much pain, just like all those other times… It was almost instinctive for Sasuke to lean closer to him and to put a comforting hand on his back.

"Thanks for staying here," the blond whispered, "you really don't have to…"

"It's okay…" He said softly as he sat next to Naruto on the floor.

"What about you how was your night?"

"It was… weird."

The blond glanced at him sideways, "Why?"

"I'd rather… try to forget about it as well, actually."

"Fair enough."

Naruto lay down, curled up in a ball. He rested his head in Sasuke's lap, and the latter, without really giving it much thought, caressed his hair.

"I miss you," Naruto whispered, "I miss us."

"…Me too," Sasuke admitted.

"Let's go on a date."

"A date?"

"A friendly date," Naruto chuckled, "whatever. I just want to hang out, to spend time with you. To talk to you. My life without you it's just… not the same."

"Okay," Sasuke chuckled, "we'll go."

"Tomorrow?" Naruto asked.

"Don't you have classes?"

"After classes. We can go out for dinner or something."

"Sure."

The blond smiled and closed his eyes, "Great."

"Naruto? Don't fall asleep…"

"M'not asleep…"

"What's going on here?"

Sasuke looked up. Fukami had just opened the door.

"Oh my God is he okay?"

"He's just hangover…"

The brunet sat next to them and took Naruto's arm. "I knew it! I kept telling you to stop drinking so much, but you weren't listening to me!"

"Sorry," the blond said sheepishly as he sat up.

"Come on we're going home…" Fukami helped him up.

Sasuke decided to leave the couple alone. Before he walked out Naruto stopped him though.

"Wait, Sasuke, so… I'll text you tomorrow all right?"

He gave a slight nod, "Yeah."

Fukami looked at him suspiciously, but he didn't comment. Sasuke returned upstairs to see if Gaara was awake.

It turned out he was, and just like Sasuke, he looked well-rested and calm now.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," Sasuke said back, and he went to sit on the couch.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. Well, technically, earlier this morning. It's unlike me to get emotional like that."

"Stop apologizing so much that's also unlike you."

Gaara chuckled and glanced away, and then he went to sit at his desk to open up his computer. Sasuke picked up his laptop as well. It was often like this since Sasuke had moved in. They could be in the same room but work on their respective computers for hours without talking to each other except for a few random comments or questions here and there.

Sasuke had an email from his agent telling him that the official trailer for the movie Moonless Night had been released. So he decided to check it out.

Gaara glared at him, "You know I don't like it when you put music when I'm working…"

Sasuke paused it and looked up, "It's not music. It's the trailer for the movie…"

The red-head's expression softened and he came to sit next to him on the couch. Sasuke pressed play again so that they could watch it together.

"Is that man supposed to be your father? He's kinda ugly. Not very realistic." Gaara said, making Sasuke chuckle. "And that girl's supposed to be your girlfriend, huh? Not very realistic either. Holy shit you're actually shooting people with a gun in that movie? Bad ass."

"I shoot my ugly father at the end," Sasuke said and they both laughed. "It's so weird seeing myself. I kinda look retarded don't I? And my voice sounds weird."

"No, you look hot. And your voice sounds sexy. Don't worry about it," Gaara said before kissing him. "You're gonna have fan girls when this movie comes out."

"Fan girls?"

"Oh yeah," Gaara laughed, "I hope you're ready to deal with that."

"Huh… I'm sure you're exaggerating."

"I never exaggerate." He returned to his desk. Without looking at Sasuke he asked, "Have you started writing again?"

"No."

"That's a shame. You write beautifully. Better than me, I can honestly say."

"I don't have time," Sasuke replied, "I've got photo shoots every freakin' two days. And next week the interviews start for the movie…"

"You know as well as I do that when you're inspired you always find the time."

"Guess I'm not inspired."

"It'll come back."

Sasuke didn't reply. He was tired of this conversation. Thankfully after that Gaara changed the subject.

"You know, you look less anorexic in the movie."

"I'm not anorexic."

"In that case why don't we go out and grab some breakfast, just the two of us?"

"Like a date?" Sasuke said teasingly.

"Yeah," Gaara shrugged as he looked at him, "that's what couples do right? We're a couple, aren't we?"

"I guess."

"So let's go."

Wow, he was invited on a lot of dates today…

…

Naruto had gotten a lot of rest on Sunday. He should've been studying, but really, studying when you were hangover wasn't humanly possible. On Monday morning he would've skipped his first class but Fukami woke him up and forced him to go.

So he managed to go through his boring school day without skipping, but it was hard. He really wasn't in the mood. He wanted nothing more than to practice with his new guitar. But in the evening of course, he wasn't thinking about studying or guitar, he was thinking about his date with Sasuke. It was just a friendly date, but he still wanted to look nice.

They had texted each other during the day, and they had decided to go at Suigetsu's restaurant. It had been Sasuke's suggestion, but Naruto didn't mind; maybe they would get a good deal.

Fukami suddenly asked him, "Where are you going anyway?"

"Out. With a friend. We're just gonna hang out. No big deal."

"No big deal?" he sat up straight on his bed and stared at him, "Is that why you just tried on like ten different outfits and turned our room into an even worst total mess than it already was?"

"I tried on three. And I just… wanted to wear something nice, that's it."

"Just wear your white shirt, Sasuke loved that one when we went out in Kyoto remember?"

The blond frowned, "How did you know it was Sasuke?"

"Oh please," he rolled his eyes, "I'm not an idiot."

"We're just friends though," Naruto reassured him.

"It's okay," he made a little smile. "I'm not the possessive jealous type. I try not to be, anyway."

"Thank you," Naruto smiled back.

He did end up wearing his white button down shirt, with black jeans. He rolled up the sleeves, and left a few buttons open.

"You look fine!" Fukami insisted, rolling his eyes again, "Just go!"

Naruto chuckled and then he picked up his cell phone, wallet and keys and headed out.

As he took the subway to get to the restaurant he was really nervous. He wanted this date, or whatever it was, to go perfectly. He didn't want things to be awkward with Sasuke anymore. He really wanted his best friend back.

When he got there Sasuke hadn't arrived yet. Ironically he ended up sitting at the same place as he had a couple months ago, when he had first come here with Sasuke and those two girls… He chuckled at the memory; it had been such a disaster.

And Suigetsu was here, of course. He smiled when he saw him.

"What's up? Long time no see."

"Yeah! Uh nothing much just… you know, school and stuff. What about you?"

"Work and stuff," Suigetsu laughed, "so you're waiting for Sasuke right? He texted me earlier to tell me you guys might come here."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, "he should be here soon."

As if on cue the raven made his appearance in the restaurant. Naruto and Suigetsu were both staring. Sasuke looked… stunning, actually, but in a different way than usual. The biggest change was that his hair was sleeked back, and you could actually see his face. And Sasuke had such a pretty face that Naruto couldn't help but wonder why he was always hiding it with his hair – although he did find the emo hairstyle kind of cute too.

Also he was wearing a thin navy blue suit with a pale blue shirt underneath.

"Look at you, you look so handsome!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

Sasuke made a face, and touched his hair in a disgusted manner. "I fucking hate it," he admitted.

"No you look good," Naruto insisted, and Sasuke looked at him.

"I didn't have time to change or anything after the photo shoot; I didn't want to keep you waiting." He looked down at his outfit, "They actually gave me this. They said they wanted me to wear it in public often so that I would promote their brand."

"You really are famous now huh?" Naruto smiled, "Getting fancy gifts from designers."

Sasuke glared at him in annoyance as he finally took place in front of him.

"So gentlemen, since you're famous and all your first drinks are on the house!" Suigetsu laughed.

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke started.

"I insist," he said teasingly, "so what'll it be?"

After ordering drinks and food Suigetsu finally let them breathe a little. Naruto was glad. He wanted this to be about just Sasuke and him after all, not Sasuke, him and Suigetsu.

"So what's new in your life?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. Naruto smiled. He really did look like a handsome gentleman like this – except maybe for the piercings.

"You already know about the photo shoot… oh yeah the trailer for the movie's out."

"Cool!" Naruto exclaimed, "I'll watch it tonight."

"If you want," the raven chuckled and glanced away, "but I don't think it looks that good."

"Well I'll see for myself. And what about you and Gaara, what's up with that?"

"We're… together, I guess. It sort of just happened. We even," he chuckled again, "went on a date yesterday…"

"Huh, really?" Naruto tried to sound as casual as possible. He reminded himself, no awkwardness. "How was it?"

"It was kinda boring actually…" he locked onyx eyes with Naruto, "we didn't talk much. We're kinda both quiet, so…"

Naruto smiled as he stared at him intensely. Sasuke blushed slightly and glanced away.

"I know I look weird you don't have to stare damn it…"

"No!" the blond quickly said, "No it's just… I can see like, both your eyes, without any hair hiding them," he teased, "you've got really beautiful eyes you know that?"

"Shut up."

Suigetsu arrived with their food and this time he didn't stay at their table to talk because the restaurant was getting busier. Naruto was thankful for this. He turned his attention back to his date. Friendly date, he reminded himself.

"So what were you saying about Gaara? The date was boring huh?"

"Well, yeah. Maybe we're too similar, in a way, I don't know."

"But then you have a lot in common?"

"Well we do share our passion for writing. But… now that I think about it," he seemed thoughtful, "that's pretty much the only thing. Well we do like the same music, but he doesn't want me to listen to it while he's working on his computer, or writing, or reading…"

"So basically he never wants you to listen to your music?" Naruto raised a brow.

"Pretty much."

"That sucks. I was a better roommate wasn't I? I never complained about your music, 'cause I liked it too!"

"You never picked up your shit," Sasuke said teasingly, "you were always coming home late, always hangover, you didn't pay rent… Oh yeah you were just the perfect roommate."

"That's a low blow…" Naruto muttered.

"Sorry," Sasuke chuckled.

They ate in silence for a few moments. But Naruto could never stay silent for very long.

"You know how I said I missed our friendship?"

"…Yeah?"

"I want us to be able to tell each other everything, you know?" Naruto shrugged. He felt a little nervous, but he went on, "I've got no one else I can really talk to…"

"What about your boyfriend?"

Naruto sighed, and glanced away, "That's the problem…"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke tilted his head to the side.

"Just stop me if you find this too awkward okay? I just really need to talk about this to someone. With Fukami we… have sex sometimes and…" he hesitated.

"It's not exactly a big shock…" Sasuke's lips twitched into an amused smile.

"No, you didn't let me finish!" He lowered his voice, "I… recently he wanted to top…"

"Really?" Sasuke looked surprised.

"Yeah but I didn't let him…"

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Naruto sighed in despair, "I fucking hate the idea of it, you know? And I'm afraid he's gonna ask me again…"

"Just say no."

"What if he asks me why?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Maybe you're just not ready for that yet."

"Does it really hurt?"

"Well yeah a little. But if you do it properly it's not so bad."

"Huh..."

They weren't finished eating, but they weren't touching their food anymore. They were just talking, and leaning more and more towards each other on the table.

"Satisfied?" Sasuke asked.

"Not really…"

"Well I guess the best way would be to show you…"

Naruto's eyes widened, but Sasuke laughed softly.

"I'm kidding."

The blond made a little smile. He was suddenly curious. "So you've done it before?"

"What?"

"Like… top…?"

"Yeah," Sasuke shrugged.

"Does it bother you that we're talking about this?"

"No."

Naruto's smile widened. In that case, he had more questions for him.

"How many times have you… like… topped?"

"Not a lot," Sasuke admitted, "like twice…"

The blond glanced at the waiter, who was busy with some other tables.

"With him?"

Sasuke followed his glance, and chuckled, "Yeah we tried it."

"Who was the other one?"

"Some random guy I met at a bar a long time ago. Why do you wanna know all that?"

"I'm just curious," Naruto shrugged, still smiling, "I wanna know more about you. So have you ever done it with a girl?"

"No."

"Wow…"

"Naruto?"

"What?"

Sasuke licked his lips briefly, and looked up into his eyes. Naruto suddenly realized they were kinda close, and that he was staring at Sasuke's every movement.

"Do you wanna get out of here and talk about sex somewhere else?"

He laughed, "Yeah sure."

Sasuke paid for the both of them, using the argument that if Naruto was paying he'd be using his money anyway, which was true. So then they walked outside together, without any precise destination in mind. Naruto noticed with a smile that a lot of girls were staring at them. Of course they would, he thought not so modestly.

"So did you have other questions for me?" Sasuke asked, glancing at him sideways. He looked amused, and Naruto smiled.

"Yeah… I wanna know… with how many guys have you done it?"

Sasuke seemed thoughtful for a long moment, which made Naruto laugh.

"That many, huh?"

"Ten," he answered.

"And… that includes Suigetsu and Gaara?"

Sasuke frowned as he stared at him. "How do you know I've done it with Gaara?"

"Oh please I'm not an idiot I mean you live with him now…"

He seemed reassured. "Yeah… I mean yeah it includes them."

"So who were the others then?"

"Random guys I met when I went out."

"How come I didn't know about that?"

"You had your life," Sasuke shrugged, "your friends, your girlfriends…"

"You were keeping secrets from me," Naruto nudged him in the ribs. "No more secrets all right?"

He chuckled, "All right."

"So… who's bigger Suigetsu or Gaara?"

"Naruto… what the fuck…"

"I'm just curious," he laughed. "Who's better in bed?"

"I'm not telling you."

Naruto suddenly stopped walking and pushed Sasuke against the wall of a store playfully. He took his arms so that he wouldn't escape from his grasp.

"I wanna know," he smirked, "come on…"

Sasuke shook his head slightly, and said in a low voice, "Why do you want to know about my sex life you pervert?"

"Cause I'm a pervert…"

The blond's smile faded a little. He couldn't take his eyes away from Sasuke, and he couldn't help but admire his beauty. They were so close…

"What're you doing?" Sasuke whispered.

No awkwardness, he remembered. This wasn't good. He tried to laugh it off as he pulled away and freed him.

"All right, you win, no more talking about sex."

They started walking again. Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced at him. But when Naruto returned his glance, he looked down.

Eventually he asked, "What do you wanna talk about then?"

"Music," Naruto exclaimed.

"Music?"

"Yeah… did I tell you I wanted to start a band?"

"No…" Sasuke raised a brow at him, "A band, really?"

"Why not?" Naruto shrugged, "I think it'd be really cool."

"You're supposed to be studying."

"I am studying," Naruto said defensively, "but I play guitar too. Fukami gave me one of his old guitars."

Sasuke stayed silent at first, then he sighed, "I just don't want you to quit school for a band… 'cause it's really hard to make a living out of that."

"It makes me happy though," Naruto frowned slightly, "when I play I'm not thinking about anything else."

"You should keep playing," the raven said, "I'm not saying you should stop. Just don't quit school because of it… You've got a lot of potential…"

"Look who's talking! With your brains you could've been a… a… I don't know, a freakin' neurosurgeon or something, and instead you're a model."

"I guess…"

Naruto realized they were slowly getting closer to Gaara's place. But he didn't want this date to end just yet, so he suggested that they go sit on a park bench. Sasuke nodded quietly and followed him to the small park on the other side of the street. They just sat in silence for a moment. There were a few cherry blossom trees and Naruto couldn't help but think, if they were a real couple this would be kind of romantic.

"You should write a song for me and Fukami."

"I've never written a song in my life," Sasuke replied.

"It's never too late to start," Naruto insisted, "and besides you're a writer aren't you?"

"Novels and songs aren't exactly the same thing Naruto," he stared at him.

The blond held his gaze. "So what? Give it a try. Are you telling me you can't do it?"

He was trying to make it sound like a challenge. And from the glint he saw in Sasuke's onyx eyes, he could tell it was working.

"I probably could but…"

"Awesome," Naruto smiled.

"You're really scaring me with this whole band idea…"

"Then let's talk about something else," he said casually as he threw his arm on the bench behind Sasuke.

The latter chuckled and glanced at him, asking once more, "What do you wanna talk about?"

"I don't know."

As he returned his glance he realized Sasuke was smiling at him fondly.

"What?" he chuckled.

"Nothing," Sasuke shrugged, "this is nice."

"Yeah…" He moved his hand to touch Sasuke's sleek hair. "It's so weird… what did they put in it?"

"Fuck if I know."

Naruto laughed as he proceeded to try to mess up Sasuke's hair. The latter got up, annoyed.

"Stop it…"

"But I wanted to see what it would do," he said as he got up as well. He tried to touch Sasuke's hair again.

"Just stop," he exclaimed, but he was smiling.

Naruto pursued him playfully and grabbed his arm. Sasuke was struggling and they ended up in the grass, with Naruto on top of him.

"They probably wouldn't like me to lie down in the grass with their suit," the raven said, making Naruto laugh.

"Probably not…"

The sky was getting darker and the streets emptier around them. Even though this was somewhat of a public place Naruto felt like it was a very intimate moment. Besides there was no one else in the small park.

"Are you gonna get off of me?" Sasuke asked at some point.

"Do you want me to?" he replied quietly.

Once again they were really close. Naruto knew that he was the cause for all those moments but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help but wanting to touch him, to be close to him, to kiss him…

He placed one hand on Sasuke's chest softly while supporting himself with the other. His heart was beating really fast. He also noticed Sasuke parted his lips…

At the last minute Sasuke pushed him away, and they ended up both sitting in the grass.

"Idiot," Sasuke said.

Naruto smiled, "We should do this again."

"…Yeah."

"Tomorrow?"

"Don't you need to study?" Sasuke replied.

"Fine…" Naruto said reluctantly, "Wednesday then?"

"…Okay."

Naruto smiled triumphantly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes at him. After that they got up and started walking again. Naruto decided to walk him all the way to Gaara's place.

"I don't want you to get raped," he said teasingly, and Sasuke rolled his eyes again.

Of course, the real reason was that he wanted to stay with him as long as possible.

When they reached their destination Naruto pulled Sasuke into a hug. He couldn't help it. He loved having him in his arms. And when Sasuke held him back and rested his head on his shoulder it made him feel warm and so good… But then Sasuke pulled away.

"I'll see you on Wednesday…"

Naruto smiled, "All right."


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for all the reviews you guys are awesome. I hope you had fun for Christmas^^

So yeah a lot of stuff happens in this one.

Chapter 15

"Going out with Naruto again?"

Sasuke looked up at Gaara. He was still working on his computer on background search for a new client. He was such a workaholic sometimes.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

Gaara gave a slight nod, his eyes never leaving his computer screen. Sasuke sighed. He was ready to go, but he was a little bit early, so he supposed he could try to talk to Gaara. He knew something was wrong. He suspected Gaara was jealous of all the time he was spending with Naruto.

They had been going on those little "dates" very often lately. Pretty much every two or three days, for two weeks now, to be precise. Every time Sasuke came home late, with a silly smile plastered on his face. It was just so much fun with Naruto, and so simple and spontaneous. They never had to plan anything. Sometimes they just walked outside in the nice spring weather, and it was amazing. They didn't need to be doing anything fancy or expensive to have fun together.

"We're just friends," he eventually said.

Gaara still didn't look at him. "Are you now?"

"Of course," Sasuke frowned and stepped closer, "he's still with Fukami, and I'm with you…"

The red-head finally returned his glance. "You love him more than you love me."

Sasuke parted his lips but no sound came out.

"Don't try to deny it," Gaara said as calmly as ever, "and Naruto loves you more than he loves his boyfriend. So why don't you guys get together already? It's fucking retarded."

He pronounced those last words in a low voice, and it was clear that he was upset, although he was trying to hide it. He went back to his work.

"We're better off as friends," Sasuke said, and he was trying to convince himself at the same time. "We'd never work out as a couple. It would ruin everything."

"So you're not together because you're scared?" Gaara chuckled dryly, "That's really stupid Sasuke, I'm sorry but it's true."

"Think whatever you want…" he muttered.

Gaara's expression softened as he looked at him.

"Look, I need to tell you something. I've decided to go with Temari next week, to visit Shikamaru in London."

Sasuke frowned, "But didn't you tell her that you had too much work?"

"I do," Gaara sighed, "but I'll manage to take a week off. I need to get a change of air. And since Kankuro's currently in New York with our father, you'll have the house to yourself."

"Are you sure you guys don't mind…?"

"No," he said softly, "we trust you. I'll leave you my keys. You can use that time to figure out what you want… Maybe to start looking for a new place?"

Sasuke swallowed hard, "Yeah. I understand."

Gaara sighed again as he stood up and took his hands.

"It's not that I don't love having you here. But it's just hard for me… You're the first person I actually feel like being with in a serious relationship. And that's big for me. But the feeling's not mutual, I can tell… No matter how much you try to pretend…"

Onyx eyes locked with pale green as he whispered, "I was never pretending…"

"I know," Gaara made a sad smile, and slid his arms around his waist to pull him closer, "I know but… there's someone you want more than me. And that's never gonna change."

Sasuke glanced away. He didn't know what to reply to that. Of course, Gaara was right…

Much later in the evening, he was walking with Naruto in the animated streets. The days were getting longer, and the sun was still bright in the sky. The blond was chatting happily as always, and Sasuke was listening even though his heart wasn't into it.

"Fukami's parents are so cool!" Naruto was saying, "I mean they let us use their garage to practice during weekends! And we actually have a drummer now! He's so cool, you should meet him! He's got like, super long hair and tattoos everywhere, but that look works for him, you know? And you wanna know the best part? His new girlfriend is a singer and she's gonna come practice with us next weekend! It's awesome. We're actually gonna have a real band!"

Sasuke forced a smile, "That's great."

The blond nudged him in the ribs, "You weren't listening were you?"

"Yes, I was," he said, glancing away, "but I'm sorry I'm not… in a really good mood tonight."

"What's wrong?" Naruto frowned.

"Nothing just… never mind."

"Hey Sasuke," he stopped walking, and the raven looked at him curiously.

"What?"

"Let's get some ice cream it'll cheer you up!"

Sasuke realized they were indeed next to an ice cream stand.

"No…"

"Oh come on!"

"You know I don't like ice cream."

"I know but… I still can't understand that. I don't think I ever will."

"Idiot."

Naruto chuckled as he went to order some ice cream. He kept it simple with vanilla flavor. After he paid they started walking again. Sasuke was finding something very disturbing though; Naruto licking his god damn ice cream. It was kind of really sexy. He forced himself to look away.

They ended up in that small park again. They always went there, in a silent agreement, because it was quiet in the evening and somewhat private.

"Do you want some?" Naruto asked him as they walked slowly.

"No."

"It's not gonna kill you! Come on…"

Apparently the idiot thought it would be a good idea to just stick his ice cream cone right next to his face. And Sasuke kind of turned his head slightly at the same time inadvertently.

"Ah damn it Naruto…"

Of course the moron was bursting out laughing. Sasuke lifted his fingers to try to take off the unwanted sticky substance, when Naruto stopped him.

"Let me do it."

He used his fingers to take off the ice cream on Sasuke's lips and chin, and then he licked them. The raven really couldn't help but stare.

"I feel like I still have some…"

"A little bit," Naruto chuckled.

He tried to take it off but Naruto stopped him again. He wasn't laughing anymore. Instead he looked really serious as he leaned dangerously close. Sasuke held his breath. Just what the hell was he thinking?

But he couldn't resist. He couldn't push him away, not when he wanted it so badly…

Naruto licked his chin, and then kissed his lips. He wrapped his arm around his waist to flush their bodies together as he deepened the kiss. Sasuke repressed a moan as Naruto slowly pushed his tongue inside his mouth. It felt so good to be kissing him, so perfect, and so right. He couldn't even think about stopping it.

They kissed passionately for a really long time. Eventually they had to pull away slightly, at least to catch their breath. Sasuke managed to glance away from Naruto's lustful blue eyes, and he noticed the ice cream was now on the ground.

"You dropped your…"

Naruto cut him, "I don't care." He smiled and kissed him again.

This time he wrapped both arms around Sasuke's thin body and he squeezed so tightly that he had a hard time breathing properly. But somehow he didn't mind. He didn't want Naruto to let go of him. The blond then kissed his jaw and his neck almost aggressively. He kissed his ear, and then his neck again, licking and even biting the sensitive pale skin there.

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered as he finally held him back. He ran his fingers through soft blond locks. "What are we doing…?"

"I don't know…" Naruto whispered huskily against his neck making him shiver in excitement.

Sasuke turned his head to meet Naruto's lips again. He couldn't get enough. He realized Naruto was grabbing his ass, but he didn't care. Actually he smiled through the kiss and bit Naruto's lip playfully, just like the blond was always doing to him. As expected Naruto returned the favor.

They made out like this for a really long time. At some point Naruto pushed him against one of the largest trees, and kissed him so deeply that Sasuke lost his ability to breathe for a few moments.

When he pulled away he felt a little weak, but Naruto was holding him tightly.

"Your lips are all red…" Naruto whispered.

Sasuke chuckled, "No shit," he breathed.

The blond smiled and ran his fingers through his hair, brushing his bangs out of his face.

"You look so hot. So damn cute…"

Sasuke kissed him again to shut him up.

"Can't I compliment you?" Naruto teased him in between two kisses.

"No. Just kiss me."

He complied more than willingly. He also placed his thigh in between Sasuke's legs. The latter moaned and felt himself getting hard.

When they pulled away this time they were both out of breath. Sasuke could feel that Naruto was also hard.

"What are we doing?" he asked again.

Naruto seemed to calm down. He pulled away slightly. They were still really close though, and his arms were still around Sasuke's waist. He slid his hands under Sasuke's shirt and caressed the skin there softly.

"I…" he hesitated, "I'm gonna break up with Fukami."

Sasuke's dark eyes widened as he searched Naruto's. The latter pressed their foreheads together for a moment, and closed his eyes.

When he pulled away again he whispered, "He keeps telling me that he loves me, but I can't say it back. Because… I'm already in love with someone else…"

Naruto placed one of his hands on his chest, like he often did in moments like this.

"Your heart is beating so fast," he whispered, and looked up in his eyes.

"…You… but…" Sasuke whispered, unable to find his words, "What about… your band?"

Naruto made a little smile, "Who cares about that? Honestly, Sasuke, I…" he frowned, and his voice broke slightly, "I wanna be with you. I can't keep lying to myself… And I'm scared but… I'm even more scared of losing you… if I don't say this…"

Sasuke caressed his arm, and replied in a low voice, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say something like this."

"I should've said it sooner," he whispered sadly, "and I hope you can forgive me for being an idiot all this time…"

"It's okay, I wanted you to be sure…"

"I'm sure now."

Sasuke wasn't sure if he felt like crying or laughing. The moment was simply too intense. He couldn't believe it was actually happening.

Naruto caressed his cheek softly. "What about… Gaara? Are you gonna break up…?"

"We already did…"

"Really? When?"

"Today."

The blond frowned slightly, "So this was why you were sad earlier?"

"Well… it makes me sad that I hurt Gaara's feelings. But it's better this way. Cause… when he told me that he loved me I couldn't say it back either…"

Naruto's beautiful lips twitched into a smile and he leaned closer to kiss him softly. He took his hands and laced their fingers. It was so tender, so loving… Every touch, every kiss, every breath was full of emotion that had been contained for way too long.

After kissing for a few more instants they kind of just lay down in the grass side by side. Naruto laughed softly as he picked up some cherry blossom petals and put them in Sasuke's hair.

"What're you doing?" Sasuke chuckled.

Instead of replying the blond leaned closer and put his arm around his waist.

"I'm never gonna forgive myself for not doing this earlier."

"It's okay," he said softly, "you needed to go to your own pace. Six months ago you still thought you were straight, after all. You even thought I was straight."

Naruto chuckled and shook his head slightly, "I'm such an idiot."

"It's okay," Sasuke said again, and kissed his lips softly.

"You were supposed to say, no, Naruto, you're not an idiot, don't say that…"

Sasuke repressed a smile, "Well I don't want to lie to you…"

Pretending to be offended, the blond pushed him on his back and climbed on top of him, pinning him down. "You bastard…"

"I'm not scared of you," Sasuke whispered.

"You should be," he replied playfully.

He kissed him roughly, but not too much, always keeping it to that edge in between pleasure and pain. But then they were interrupted by Naruto's cell phone.

The blond pulled away, sitting next to Sasuke. He checked his cell but didn't answer it.

"Who was it?" Sasuke asked, sitting up.

"Fukami… fuck it's this late already," he sighed, "We were supposed to study together for an exam…"

The raven put his hand on his back, "You should go…"

Naruto frowned, and leaned closer to pull him into his arms. He held him tight, and Sasuke returned the hug, burying his face in his neck and breathing in the sweet scent of his hair.

"I don't want to go… I feel like I want to stay like this forever…"

"Same here," Sasuke whispered in his ear.

Naruto squeezed even tighter, and then after a moment he finally pulled away slowly. He sighed again, almost desperately. Sasuke made a little smile and reached with his hand to caress his hair.

"Hey it's okay… we'll see each other again soon enough."

They got up slowly, but then Naruto hugged him again.

"I'm not gonna disappear over night," Sasuke chuckled.

"I know but… I might not see you again until next week. We have practice with the band this weekend, and then it's the final exams… But I want to see you…"

"No," Sasuke said as they pulled away, "you should study…"

They started walking slowly. Naruto still looked hesitant.

"But maybe I won't go to Fukami's parents' house this weekend," he said, "I mean maybe he won't want me there if…"

For a moment Sasuke was worried that Naruto was having second thoughts. But then he put his arm around his waist and pulled him closer as they reached the sidewalk.

"But I'm definitely breaking up with him. Tonight."

Sasuke stayed silent for a moment. Then he said, "Text me later to tell me how it went."

"I will."

"And it's not a big deal if we see each other in a week. Don't worry about it."

Naruto smiled, and kissed his hair, "I'll tell you when I text you later."

In front of the Sabaku house, they hugged and kissed for a long time again. They couldn't get enough of each other it seemed. But Naruto finally let him go, and Sasuke couldn't help but smile as he went inside and made his way to Gaara's bedroom.

The red-head was already sleeping, so Sasuke tried not to make any noise.

As promised, later, Naruto texted him.

_It went much better than I thought. It turns out Fukami's been hooking up with other guys behind my back. But I don't care lol. So yeah he still wants me in the band and I'm still going to his parents' place this weekend. So I'll see you next week… I'll really miss you until then._

Sasuke smiled, and texted his reply.

_I'm glad it went well. You should be mad at him for seeing other guys though. Anyway, have fun this weekend, and don't forget to study for your exams all right? I'll miss you too._

…

Things were awkward between Fukami and Naruto, but the latter supposed it couldn't be helped. Still, the weekend spent at Fukami's parents' place and practicing with their new drummer and singer was amazing. The four of them were having so much fun together while playing some of their favorite songs that even the ex-boyfriends put their differences aside and laughed together.

They still hadn't chosen a name though. But it would come with time. Besides, it wasn't like they were ready to perform any time soon.

After this fun weekend, unfortunately, came the exams. And the truth was, Naruto was lazy and hadn't studied much. But he knew that Sasuke would kill him if he didn't pass his exams, so he made an effort.

The thought made him smile. It was Sunday night, and he was extremely tired but he was still sitting on his bed in the middle of his books. Fukami was already sleeping. Of course they were sleeping in their respective beds now. Actually, Naruto found it nice to have some space.

He picked up his cell phone. He couldn't resist the urge to text Sasuke. His boyfriend. He still couldn't believe it was real. It was so obvious to him now that he had always been in love with Sasuke. He felt like such an idiot for waiting this long, and for putting them both through so much drama and emotional roller coaster. But regrets were pointless.

Now he knew, and he was sure, that he loved him and wanted to be with him. He didn't want to be with a girl, he didn't want to be with another guy, and he didn't want to sleep around or experiment or whatever. He wanted Sasuke, and no one else. And it was all that mattered.

_Hey Sasuke, what's up? My last exam's on Wednesday, do you want to go celebrate with me after that?_

His reply came only a few seconds later, and it made Naruto smile.

_I've got an interview for the movie, but I'll definitely be free later in the evening. I'll be looking forward to it._

_Awesome, can't wait. I miss you._

_ I miss you too. Now go to sleep._

Ah, Sasuke… some things never changed. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

…

Interviews were such a pain in the ass, Sasuke thought as he walked back home. Especially ones for teenagers' magazines. Questions about the movie were okay, but questions about his favorite type of girls were really, really annoying. What the hell was he supposed to answer to that?

Now because of that interview he was tired. But of course he would never cancel his date with Naruto. He was so proud of the blond for finishing his semester. It looked like his life was finally turning back around. He was also proud of him for learning to play guitar so fast, of course. He was so talented – not everyone could do it. Sasuke didn't particularly like the fact that Naruto shared his new hobby with his ex-boyfriend but hey, things couldn't be absolutely perfect.

But they were perfect enough, he thought with a smile. He still couldn't believe he and Naruto would actually be together, as a real couple. It made him so damn happy… He still felt bad for hurting Gaara's feelings though. But at least right now the red-head was gone to London with his sister, and they were visiting Shikamaru, but most importantly he was having fun and clearing his head from anything that had to do with Sasuke. This is what the latter hoped anyway. And he would try his best to find a new place to stay before the Sabaku siblings came back from their trip.

He still had an hour left before meeting up with Naruto. He just wanted to relax and rest a little, and then maybe change into nicer clothes. They were having dinner at Suigetsu's restaurant, and then they would improvise and maybe go to a club.

When he got to the front door of the house he used Gaara's key to unlock it. But he realized it was already unlocked. He frowned. This was weird. Of course he had locked it before leaving in the morning. He pushed it open and stepped inside. He thought maybe Kankuro had returned sooner than planned from New York.

As he slipped off his shoes he glanced around but he couldn't see or hear anyone. He tried not to be scared, but in situations like this he couldn't help but feel paranoid. He just had a bad feeling.

He started walking in the hallway and he stopped short when he saw that someone was standing next to the stairs. And then his blood froze in his veins when he recognized him.

"Hello Sasuke," he smiled, and stepped closer slowly, "wow, you really do look like Itachi. I've always wanted to meet you. The guy who made Itachi screw up, and who screwed up our whole organization at once…"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he said in a low voice, trying to hide his fear. That man was supposed to be in jail…

The man's smile widened, "You'll find out soon enough."

Sasuke gasped when he heard someone approach him from behind. But there was no time to protect himself. He got hit in the back of his head, and everything became black around him. He couldn't hear or see anything anymore, and he lost consciousness before falling on the floor.

…

He felt nauseous when he woke up, and his head hurt so badly. He opened his eyes and it took some time before he could focus on the room around him. He realized he was lying down on the living room couch. He was shirtless and his ankles and wrists were tied with some resistant cable tie so tightly that it hurt.

The two men were there. One of them was sitting in front of the house computer, and he also had a laptop open next to it. The other one, the one that had spoken to Sasuke before, was looking over his shoulder. The curtains were closed, covering the large living room window.

"Hey, you're already awake, good," the talkative one said with a smile as he walked up to the couch.

The other man didn't so much as glance at them. He was clearly hacking that computer. Sasuke tried to sit up but the older guy pushed him back down.

"I don't think so," he said, "don't move unless I ask you too, all right?"

Sasuke frowned, and whispered, "You're supposed to be in jail…"

His smile widened. It scared Sasuke. It was the smile of a mad man.

"I got out thanks to my good behavior, isn't it great? And I got myself a new partner in crime. It's much better like this. When you're a big organization like we were back then, we can be found too easily. And you certainly can't trust everyone…"

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, just hacking into the computer to have access to the Sabakus' bank accounts. See, we're a little short on cash right now."

"Whose fault is that…" the other guy muttered.

"Shut up Kakuzu. Anyway," he turned back to Sasuke, "as I was saying, we just want their money. We have nothing personal against them. When it comes to you my dear," he leaned closer, "it's another story. You see, when I got out of jail, I decided to try to find you. And you weren't hard to find," he laughed, "Mister Superstar. And since you've made such rich friends, my partner and I thought we'd kill two birds with one stone."

He took out a knife from his pocket. Sasuke's heart started racing in fear.

"You see, I always wondered why Itachi had given up everything for his brother's sake. Lately I realized his sacrifice wasn't worth it. I mean a professional model? You've to be kidding me," he laughed, "it's not exactly an important role in our society. You owe it to your brother to do something better with your life, don't you think? So I thought maybe I was gonna give you a little help…" he trailed the tip of the knife lightly on Sasuke's cheek.

Then he looked at the man named Kakuzu. "How long's it gonna take?"

"Fifteen, maybe twenty more minutes," he answered without looking away from his laptop.

"Hurry up will you?"

"Hidan will you please let me do my fucking work and stop bothering me?"

He looked back at Sasuke and tilted his head to the side, "Fine by me. So where were we? Oh yeah… I thought maybe I was gonna give you a little help. If I damage your body a little, then you'll have to quit your career as a model, am I right?"

The knife was now hovering above his bare chest. Sasuke tried to control his trembling, but he was so fucking scared. Why had they let such a psycho get out of jail?

"Where should I start?" he wondered out loud.

He grabbed his arm and twisted it, forcing Sasuke to lie down on his stomach. His wrists hurt because of the tie being forced and he repressed a moan of pain.

"You've got such perfect, flawless skin…"

As he said this he sliced the knife into the inside of his arm. Sasuke hissed in pain, and Hidan looked up into his eyes and smiled like the sick psychopath he was. He continued cutting the skin, all the way to his wrist.

Sasuke was losing a lot of blood already.

"You know, you can die from a cut like this. But I don't think I've made it too deep. And I won't do it on your other arm, so you should survive. If someone finds you soon enough that is…"

He turned him on his back again. The injury hurt all the more because he was forced to lie down on it. The smell of his own blood was making him feel sick.

"What should I do next?" he wondered out loud again. He placed the knife against his cheek like he had done before, except this time some droplets of blood fell on Sasuke's face. After a moment of hesitation he sliced the skin but only a little. "Such a pretty face," Hidan said.

Instead he brought the knife to Sasuke's chest. The latter clenched his teeth to repress a yell of pain when the man cut his skin. It hurt so much…

He continued cutting the skin of his chest, and stomach, and Sasuke wasn't sure how long he would be able to stay conscious. He felt sick and nauseous and scared, so scared. But there was nothing he could do. His head hurt and he had lost too much blood already.

After a particularly deep cut to his stomach, he felt himself becoming even weaker. He wasn't able to keep his eyes open anymore…

"Hidan, I'm done. I transferred the money. Let's get out of here."

"He passed out anyway. It's boring if he's not awake."

"Come on, let's just go… We need to take out the money before we're discovered…"

If they continued talking after that, Sasuke didn't hear it.

…

Sasuke was really late, and Naruto was starting to worry as he sat inside the restaurant. Sure, Sasuke was often a little late, but never this much. And besides he wasn't answering his phone.

"Hey Suigetsu," he said as the waiter passed by his table, "I'm just gonna go make sure he's okay."

"All right," he nodded, "I hope everything's fine."

Naruto didn't lose any more time. As he walked outside he felt nervous. He told himself he was just being paranoid but, he couldn't help but worry that something bad had happened.

It felt like the longest walk of his life. When he finally got there he tried the door. It was unlocked. Inside there was no light, no sound, nothing. But there was a strong smell of blood, and it scared Naruto. He swallowed hard and kept walking, looking everywhere around him warily.

When he saw him lying down on the couch he gasped, and ran by his side. He put one knee down, uncaring that he was staining his jeans with blood. He took off his shirt and pressed it against Sasuke's stomach. He checked his pulse and let out a quick sigh of relief when he saw that he was still alive. Then he took out his cell and called an ambulance. He was doing everything in a sort of daze. He was in shock; this was like a nightmare he really wanted to wake up from.

The woman on the line told him to calm down. She told him an ambulance was on the way. As soon as he heard this he dropped his phone. He had noticed Sasuke was tied up and he wanted to go get some scissors, or a knife or anything. He found the kitchen scissors and hurried back to the living room. He cut the ties, freeing his ankles and wrists. As he did this he noticed a large gash on the inside of Sasuke's arm and he cursed. He went to get a towel and then he pressed it on his arm tightly.

Naruto sighed shakily as he reached with his other hand to brush Sasuke's bangs out of his face. There was some blood on his cheek but there was only a small cut there. The worst was his arm and stomach; it was covered with so much blood.

Who the fuck had done this?

When the ambulance finally arrived Naruto was still sitting next to Sasuke and holding his arm to stop the bleeding. Of course then he had to move to let the paramedics do their job.

When it was time to get into the ambulance they asked him if he was family, and he answered yes. Anything to be able to stay with him. Besides if he wasn't Sasuke's family, then who was?

He sat next to him and held his hand as they proceeded to transfuse him some blood. They asked Naruto what happened but all he could do was shake his head.

"I found him like this…"

At the hospital he had no choice but to stay in the waiting room. It was torture not knowing if Sasuke was gonna be okay. He had never felt so anxious in his life. He waited for hours and he felt like he was going to die. But he didn't want to move. He didn't want to go outside or anything, in case that they were gonna give him some news.

When finally a doctor came to see him, Naruto felt so nervous that he just had to stand up and look at him expectantly.

"Are you the patient's family?"

Why did they keep asking that question?

"Look there's no one else okay? It's just me," he said fervently.

He nodded, "He has a concussion and he's lost a lot of blood, but with the transfusion and some rest he's gonna be fine. It's a good thing you found him; otherwise it might've been too late."

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. He had been so close to losing him forever…

"Thanks," he said.

"I recommend you go back home and come back to see him tomorrow."

"No I'm staying," Naruto said firmly, "in case he wakes up."

The man didn't argue, and he walked away. Naruto wasn't allowed in Sasuke's room for now, but he could see him through a window. His arm and torso were all bandaged up and there were some tubes plugged to his body. Naruto felt like crying. It was so hard seeing him like this.

Now all he could do was to continue waiting…


	16. Chapter 16

This is so full of smut.

Chapter 16

In the morning Naruto was finally allowed inside Sasuke's room. He sat on the chair next to his bed and held his hand. It was so cold. Naruto caressed it tenderly.

He was still wearing his blood stained jeans and only a tank top because he had used his shirt to stop the bleeding earlier.

He stayed like this for an hour.

And then Sasuke woke up. He slowly opened blurry onyx eyes and looked at Naruto. The latter was crying silent tears.

"Why are you crying?" the raven said in a rasp voice.

Naruto kissed his hand. "Cause I'm really fucking glad you're okay…"

"Where am I?" Sasuke sounded confused, "What's going on?"

He tried to sit up but he winced in pain and fell back on the bed. Naruto quickly stood and pressed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders softly.

"Don't move…"

"What happened?" he whispered.

Naruto wiped his tears and frowned. "You don't remember?"

"I…" Sasuke frowned as well. But then he glanced away and his eyes widened slightly. He looked so scared.

"Hey," Naruto said softly, "hey don't be scared, you're safe now…"

"Wh-what did he do to me? After I passed out did he…?"

The blond spoke as softly as he could, "You had a concussion, and cuts on your stomach, and on your arm. But you're gonna be fine…"

"He said something about my face…" Sasuke breathed. He still sounded freaked out.

Naruto caressed his hair and leaned closer to kiss his forehead.

"No, you're okay…" he insisted. "Just a little cut but it's probably not even gonna leave a scar."

Sasuke lifted his arm weakly to take Naruto's hand in his. "You found me," he whispered, "he said that if no one found me, I would…"

A single tear rolled down Naruto's cheek, "Don't think about it. You're okay and it's all that matters."

Suddenly the door opened, and they both looked up. Naruto was surprised to see Sakura, dressed in medical clothing. She ran by Sasuke's side.

"Oh my god I'm so glad you're okay…"

"Sakura what are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"My internship's in this hospital. I came as soon as I heard…"

"They told me he was gonna be fine," Naruto said.

"Of course," she made a little smile, her eyes never leaving Sasuke, "I'm just gonna check your stitches and change your bandages. And give you your dose of antibiotics and drugs for the pain."

Naruto moved away to let her do her job. Suddenly he recalled his phone conversation with Gaara.

"The cops are already after the men who did this to you," he informed, and Sasuke glanced at him. He could tell Sakura was listening too although she wasn't distracted from her work. "Gaara called me during the night. He wanted to check up on you and you weren't answering your phone so… I told him you were gonna be okay. And then he told me that his dad had seen an abnormal transaction into his bank accounts in Tokyo. So he immediately called the bank and they didn't let the thieves take out the money. They ran away but the cops have their description and everything. It won't be long before they catch them."

"Fucking morons," Sasuke said and Naruto couldn't help but smile. This was the Sasuke he knew.

"I hope they go to jail for life after what they did to you," Sakura said.

"I'm sure they will," Naruto said. "Otherwise I'll fucking kill them myself."

When Sakura was finished Sasuke asked, "How long do I have to stay here?"

"At least one more day," she said, "you should try to get some more sleep."

Sasuke sighed, and Sakura left them alone. Naruto went to sit on the bed right next to him, and he took his hand again.

"Your agent also called me. He heard what happened on the news, and he was freaking out. He said you gave my phone number as an emergency number."

Sasuke chuckled, "Yeah I guess I did. What did you tell him?"

"That you were gonna have to take a little break."

"A little break," he said sadly, "no I'm gonna have to quit…"

"Why do you say that?" the blond asked softly.

"I think it's rather obvious Naruto…"

He frowned, "You're gonna heal…"

Sasuke sighed and glanced away. He looked so sad and troubled that Naruto wanted to try and cheer him up.

"Hey Sasuke, I've been thinking, I have a lot of money left from what you gave me. And with the band we're gonna try to get gigs in bars and stuff this summer. And you must have a lot of money too, thanks to the movie and everything. So if you want, we could get a nice place together, maybe even a car, so that we don't have to walk everywhere all the time," he chuckled.

The raven looked back at him and made a little smile. "You wanna live with me?"

Naruto smiled back. He leaned closer to kiss his lips softly. "I never wanna live without you again," he whispered.

"Me neither."

He kissed him again, and then he noticed Sasuke looked sleepy. Probably all the drugs they were giving him. So Naruto decided to let him rest.

Relieved now that he knew for sure that Sasuke was okay, he went to his dorm room. He noticed Fukami's things were already all gone. Well, he hadn't lost any time in returning to his parents' place. Naruto could understand him. Staying at the dorm now that school was over was pointless.

He took a shower and changed into some clean and comfortable jeans and t-shirt. Then he decided to go to the Sabakus' house. Naruto had borrowed Sasuke's keys earlier, so that he could go and get some clothes for him.

So he did just that, although it was rather troubling to go into this house again so soon. Especially when he walked passed the living room…

He chose some black sweat pants and a matching long sleeve shirt. He knew that Sasuke loved wearing those clothes when he just wanted to relax and be comfortable. He put the clothes in a bag along with Sasuke's toothbrush and a couple more things.

Then he took the public transportation to go back to the hospital. Sasuke was still sleeping when he came back, but he didn't care. He stayed by his side all day, holding his hand, and making sure he was okay.

Kiba and Hinata came to visit at some point, as well as Ino. Sakura also came back to check up on him a few times. Suigetsu also came after Naruto had called him to tell him what had happened. But Sasuke didn't wake up. He only woke up in the evening, when it was just Naruto left.

"Hey," the blond smiled.

"Hey… do you think I can get out of here now?"

Naruto chuckled, "They said maybe tomorrow afternoon. Oh, here, they brought this plate of food for you earlier."

"Looks fucking nasty."

"Sasuke you have to eat…"

"No…" he glanced away stubbornly. Then he tried to sit up.

Naruto pushed him back down, but Sasuke glared at him.

"I need to go to the bathroom idiot."

"Oh…"

He didn't have anything plugged to his body at this point. That had been removed during the day, because now he could eat and take the drugs the normal way. So Naruto slid his arm around his thin waist, careful not to hurt him, and helped him get up.

"Fuck…" Sasuke muttered and clearly he was feeling dizzy as he tried to walk.

Naruto held him firmly and helped him walk towards the bathroom. Really, it would've been faster if he would've just picked him up and brought him there, but he didn't want Sasuke to be humiliated or anything.

The raven pulled away and closed the door in his face.

"But…" Naruto protested.

"I'm fine."

After Sasuke was done he still didn't come out.

Naruto heard him say, "Why the fuck do I have to wear this…"

He couldn't help but laugh, and he went to get the bag with the things he had brought for him.

"I'm not sure it's okay, but I brought you this…"

Sasuke opened the door slightly, and he stole the bag from him. Naruto laughed again, and Sasuke closed the door. He heard him brush his teeth. And when he opened the door again he was wearing the sweat pants and had thrown the hospital clothes on the floor.

"I'm really not sure it's okay," Naruto scratched his hair, a smile lingering on his lips.

"I don't care."

Sasuke walked back to his bed and he half sat, half fell on it. Naruto quickly went to sit right next to him. The raven closed his eyes and leaned on Naruto.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah just… a little…"

"Dizzy?"

"Yeah…"

"Come here…" Naruto moved to the head of the bed and he pulled Sasuke in his arms softly.

The raven didn't protest. He leaned against him and used his chest as a pillow. Naruto kept his arms around him comfortingly.

"Some people came to visit you today, but you were sleeping."

"Good. I don't wanna see anyone."

"Anyone?" Naruto said half-teasing.

"…Except you."

He smiled and kissed his hair. That's what he wanted to hear.

"We really do have to find a place to stay soon. I have one more week and then I need to move my things out of the dorm room…"

"You're always so last minute," Sasuke chuckled.

"Yeah I know… Hey Sasuke?"

"What?"

"What type of car do you want?"

"…I don't care. You decide."

"I don't really know either. But I want it to be orange."

"I want it to be black."

Naruto chuckled, "Then we'll get a black car and paint orange flames on it."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me…"

Naruto kissed his hair again and laughed softly. Then, more seriously, he said, "Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Sasuke pulled away slightly and looked up into his eyes. He leaned closer and lifted his fingers to caress his face. Then he kissed him softly and said, "I love you too."

Naruto held him tight but without hurting him, and Sasuke closed his eyes and soon he fell asleep like this, in the blond's strong arms.

…

As expected, they let him go the next day. Sasuke was thankful, because he really didn't know if he could endure another day in this fucking hospital. They changed his bandages before he left, and they also gave Naruto instructions to change them the next day.

On their way to the exit Naruto was trying to help him walk, but it annoyed Sasuke more than anything.

"I'm fine…"

His stomach hurt with every step, but he could still manage to walk on his own. Naruto didn't seem to understand this though, as he continued holding him.

"You need to take it easy," he replied.

Naruto had called them a taxi, so once they were outside they got in the backseat. Again, Naruto helped him, worry written all over his face.

Sasuke had to admit that his injuries hurt a little though. So he leaned against Naruto willingly.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked him.

"I don't want to go back to Gaara's house…"

The blond turned his head and addressed the driver, telling him the address of his college.

"I've never been to your dorm room before."

"It's kind of a mess," Naruto admitted.

"I'm kind of not surprised," he replied teasingly.

The blond chuckled, but didn't say anything. Instead he took his hand and kissed it. They stayed silent for the rest of the drive.

When they arrived on campus Naruto paid the driver and helped Sasuke out of the car. They started walking and at some point Sasuke stopped. He clutched the fabric of his shirt; his stomach really hurt all of a sudden.

"Are you okay?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah I'm fine…"

The blond lifted his shirt to look at his bandages, worried.

"It's not bleeding Naruto it's just a little painful that's it…" Sasuke said, annoyed.

"I'll carry you."

"What? No…"

Before he could protest further Naruto had picked him up and started walking.

"Don't… Just stop it, put me down, Naruto god damn it…"

"Shut up," Naruto replied, and Sasuke went quiet.

Resigned, he placed his arm around Naruto's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. At least the campus seemed to be completely deserted.

"You can say it," Naruto made a little smile.

"What?" Sasuke frowned, confused.

"That you're admiring how strong I am."

The raven chuckled – even though laughing kind of hurt, he couldn't help it – and decided to make fun of Naruto.

"Oh my God Naruto I just love your muscles. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be with a tall and strong man, and now my dream came true. I want to marry you and have your babies."

Naruto was smiling, "Well I can marry you, but for the babies I think we might have to adopt darling."

Sasuke chuckled again, "Stop making me laugh it fucking hurts."

"You started it…"

The blond finally put him down once they were in front his dorm room. He unlocked the door and opened it, and Sasuke saw that he wasn't kidding about the messy part. There were things everywhere. Sasuke wouldn't have known which side of the room belonged to Naruto if it hadn't been from the laptop on his bed.

Actually the first thing Naruto did was open up said laptop, but he put it on the desk instead. So Sasuke went to sit on the bed.

"I'm gonna start looking for apartments," Naruto announced, then turned to look at him, "what do you wanna do?"

"Take a shower," the raven admitted.

"I'll come with you."

"No, just show me where it is and I'll be fine…"

"No I'll come with you," Naruto said firmly.

He picked up two towels, as well as some shampoo and body soap, and he turned to look at Sasuke.

"Come on, I need to take a shower too anyway."

Sasuke wasn't buying it. He knew Naruto was just worried about him. But he let him come with him to the bathroom. He hesitated before stripping off his clothes though.

"I'll help you," Naruto said, misinterpreting his hesitation.

But again Sasuke let him. And it was true that it was less painful that way. So he lifted his arms and Naruto helped him out of his shirt. But then he seemed to notice there was something off.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…" Sasuke glanced away, blushing slightly, "this is the first time we're taking a shower together and I wish it could've been more… I don't know, not like this…"

Naruto leaned closer, caressed his hair and kissed him.

"Believe me, there's gonna be other times. A lot of other times," he smiled.

Sasuke smiled back weakly, and then proceeded to take off his bandages.

"But they just changed those," Naruto protested.

"I don't care I wanna take it off."

He wanted to see what he looked like. So after taking off all the bandages he looked at himself in the mirror. He let out a sigh as he took in the sight of all the nasty cuts on his chest and stomach, and of course the one on his arm. Naruto sighed as well and hugged him from behind.

He kissed his neck softly, "It's gonna heal Sasuke. It's just been a few days, you have to give your body some time…"

Sasuke pulled away from Naruto and went to turn on the water. He removed the rest of his clothes as quickly as possible even though his injuries hurt like hell, and then he stepped in the shower stall. Naruto joined him soon after.

Sasuke really would've wished for this moment to be more special, more romantic. Now he just felt like some disabled person unable to clean himself properly because he could barely move his arm or bent his body…

But Naruto said, "You're beautiful," and he used the soap and rag to clean him.

Sasuke hissed when he cleaned his stomach, and Naruto frowned.

"I'm sorry."

"No it's okay…" he turned around to face Naruto, "Thanks for helping me."

"Any time," the blond smiled.

When he was finished, he cleaned himself as well and then stepped under the water to rinse his body. Sasuke admired his beautiful, tall, muscular but lean body. His naturally tan skin was so perfect. There were no lines, like most people had. And when he turned around again Sasuke inadvertently found himself looking at his most intimate parts, of course. He blushed and glanced away.

Naruto chuckled, cupped his chin and turned his face, "You can look all you want, you know?"

Sasuke ignored him and grabbed the shampoo. But Naruto took it from him.

"Let me do it."

The raven closed his eyes as Naruto shampooed his hair and massaged his scalp. It felt nice. Then Naruto placed him under the water, and Sasuke slowly leaned on him. He felt safe in his arms. After that Naruto washed his own hair too. They were finished but none of them moved. Instead they looked at each other and slowly leaned closer. And they kissed softly.

Naruto wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. But his movements were careful, almost as if he was afraid that Sasuke would break.

"You don't have to be so afraid to hurt me," he whispered.

"I can't help it," Naruto replied.

To prove him that he could handle it, Sasuke deepened the kiss. He placed his hands behind Naruto's neck and their kiss became rougher, just how he liked it. His injuries hurt a little but he was completely ignoring it at the moment. All he cared about was Naruto. Kissing him, touching him, holding him, and being held by him…

They were both hard at this point. And Naruto was starting to grind him…

"I don't want to hurt you," Naruto said.

"You're not gonna hurt me."

"I don't have any condoms…"

"I don't care."

"I always used condoms, with everyone else, always," Naruto reassured him.

But Sasuke didn't need to be reassured. "Me too," he smiled, "anyway I trust you."

"I trust you too."

"I kinda…"

"What?" Naruto breathed.

"I kinda wish our first time together could be more… romantic," he finally admitted.

"Who said this wasn't romantic?" Naruto said half-teasing, "I saved your life. And I carried you here bridal style, didn't I? I'm like your hero, and stuff."

Ah, Naruto, so modest as always…

Sasuke couldn't help but smile, and he turned around and leaned against the tiled wall. Naruto placed his arm around his waist softly, and he put his other hand at his hip.

"Then I guess you can claim your price," he teased back.

Naruto kissed the back of his neck and whispered in his ear, more seriously, "Are you sure…?"

"Yeah," he breathed as he turned his head to meet Naruto's lips.

The blond slid inside of him as they continued kissing. Sasuke flinched in pain slightly and Naruto got worried.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah… just be gentle…"

He usually liked it rough, but maybe not right now…

Naruto did as he was told. He moved back and forth inside of him slowly, almost tenderly, while holding his waist and flushing their bodies together, and kissing his neck.

Sasuke couldn't repress his moans as Naruto hit that sensitive spot inside of him, and he found himself craving for more.

"You can go… a little faster…"

"Yeah?" Naruto whispered and again obeyed him willingly.

Sasuke turned his head slightly again so that they could kiss while Naruto continued making love to him. He slowly went faster and harder as he held his hips firmly. Sasuke really couldn't contain his moans of pleasure. He was loving it, and he was loving it all the more because it wasn't just anyone, it was Naruto making love to him.

Suddenly Naruto brought his hand to his painfully hard erection and started stroking him. The combination of pleasures was just too much. Sasuke tilted his head back and moaned even louder. He was so close…

With one last thrust Naruto came inside of him, and Sasuke came in his hand. The blond kissed his neck softly one last time before turning him around and wrapping his arms around him. Sasuke held him back fiercely. They stayed like this, simply holding each other under the water, for a few minutes. It felt so good.

"I love you," Sasuke said.

Naruto caressed his hair and whispered, "I love you too."

After that they slowly got out of the shower stall, and wrapped the towels around their waists. Before Sasuke could protest Naruto picked him up in his arms again.

"Will you stop doing that?"

"I like it," the blond chuckled as he started walking, "makes me feel strong. Although I shouldn't, really, you weigh nothing… Which reminds me, you really need to eat a good meal tonight. Oh, I know, I'll cook for you!"

"Oh god… do you want to finish me off?"

"Shut up bastard."

Despite those harsh words Naruto put him down on his bed very softly and carefully. Then he went back to close the door. Sasuke watched as he got dressed in some clean jeans and t-shirt.

When he was finished Naruto looked at him, and mockingly he said, "It's so that you can resist me. Cause you need to rest and not fuck all day."

"I shouldn't flatter you cause you do it so well yourself already but… honestly, you're hard to resist whatever you're wearing."

Naruto smiled and came to sit next to him, "Well, you're gonna have to. All right, I need to do your bandages…"

"No…" Sasuke protested.

"Stop being such a child," Naruto rolled his eyes, and picked up the clean bandages.

He helped him to sit up and first he wrapped it around his waist. They were so close, and as Sasuke turned his head slightly their still wet raven and blond hair mixed up. Naruto smiled and interrupted his work briefly to give him a kiss.

When he was finished he did the same for his arm.

"All right, time to look for apartments…" he stood up.

"Um, Naruto?"

"What?"

"Can I borrow some clothes?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," he smiled.

He picked up some clothes and handed them to Sasuke. The latter stared.

"Did it really have to be orange clothes?"

"They're comfy!" Naruto argued.

As he put them on Sasuke chuckled, "I remember, you used to wear those for gym class. It looked stupid cause they were too big for you."

"And they're… kinda too big for you," Naruto laughed.

After that he explained that there was a small kitchen down the hall the residents of the dorm could use.

"I'll just go out and buy some stuff, and then I'll cook something for ya," he smiled, "on the mean time you can use my laptop to search for apartments if you want."

"Sure," Sasuke nodded.

The evening went exactly as the raven had expected.

He managed to find some good deals for apartments available right now, and he made some phone calls to arrange visits.

As for Naruto, he tried to cook – tried being the keyword. He pretty much burned everything and it wasn't edible in the end, so they had no choice but to eat instant ramen instead. Sasuke gave him a hug and a kiss to console him, and he told him that he loved him even though he sucked at cooking.

"It's the intention that counts," he added as he repressed an amused smile.

"It's a good thing I had some left," Naruto indicated the ramen, "but it's just that… I know you hate it, so I wanted to make you something that you like…"

"It's okay," Sasuke gave a slight shrug, "I'm kinda hungry," he admitted, "so I'll eat it anyway."

They ate in silence for a moment, Naruto sitting at his desk and Sasuke on the bed. Outside the sky was darkening. Naruto had put on some rock alternative music that they both really liked on his laptop, and Sasuke was content just to be in his boyfriend's company and listen to good music. Even though he had to eat instant ramen and his body constantly hurt like hell. He figured he should just be happy to be alive.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about your exes."

"You want to know about my exes?"

"Yes."

Sasuke was confused and amused at the same time. "But… why?"

"Just curious," Naruto shrugged, "I can tell you about my exes if you want."

"You already told me about your exes a thousand fucking times," Sasuke chuckled.

He knew every little detail about Naruto's past relationships with Hinata, Ino and Sakura. Of course, he didn't know that much about…

"I can tell you more about Fukami," Naruto said.

"I think I'll pass."

"I'm serious!" the blond exclaimed as he put his bowl away on his desk and turned to look at him, "It could help us, you know, be really good to each other. Know what the other likes and hates…"

"I've known you my whole life, I think I know what you like and hate…"

"Please," Naruto insisted, "please, please, please."

"All right, fine!" Sasuke chuckled, and scratched his hair, "What do you want to know?"

He put his bowl away as well, and moved to the head of the bed to lean against the wall. Naruto came to join him on the mattress, sitting cross-legged and facing him.

"Tell me about Suigetsu first. How was he, when he was with you?"

Sasuke took a deep breath before answering, "He was really sweet, a little too much sometimes actually…"

"What do you mean?"

Naruto looked really eager to know more. Sasuke made a little smile.

"Too much sweet talk I guess. I don't need to be told that I'm cute and adorable a hundred times a day…"

"But you are cute and adorable," Naruto teased him, "especially when you're wearing my big orange sweater."

"Yeah I should wear it to my movie premiere."

"With my orange converse."

"Oh God," Sasuke laughed, and then he winced in pain and clutched his stomach.

Immediately Naruto was leaning towards him, worried, "You okay?"

"Yeah…"

"It hurts?" Naruto placed his hand on top of his softly.

"It's okay. Just try not to make me laugh too much."

The blond bit his lip, "Sorry."

"So what else did you want to know?"

"How was he… like… when you guys… were doing it?"

The raven face palmed, "I don't know…"

"Come on tell me!"

"All right fine. He was a bit too… gentle."

Naruto caressed his thigh teasingly, "Am I bigger than him?"

"Fuck off Naruto stop asking stupid questions…"

"Just answer it!" he smiled.

"No."

"You're bigger than Fukami," Naruto said.

"I feel so much better about myself now," he said sarcastically.

"Well I told you!" Naruto exclaimed, "So you tell me!"

"Yeah you are. Happy now?"

"Very. So… you like it rough huh? When you're all healed up I'll give it to you really hard and rough baby."

"Oh shut up," he glanced away, blushing.

"So what about Gaara?"

"What about him?"

"Don't play dumb. You know what I want to know."

"Well I'm not gonna tell you anything. He's your friend!"

"We're not close friends," Naruto shrugged.

"Still…"

"If I tell you about Fukami will you tell me about Gaara?"

"…Fine."

Naruto smirked, "I knew you wanted to know. Okay… where to begin? Well he was kind of annoying sometimes, really, and he was so fucking loud… Seriously I'm surprised we weren't discovered and kicked out."

"Maybe your dorm neighbors were gay and were jerking off to you having sex."

The blond laughed, "Maybe."

"I've been told I'm kinda loud too…"

"Oh believe me compared to him you're really quiet. And besides the sounds you make are really cute. You should never hold back that would be a shame…"

"Shut up…" he muttered.

Naruto chuckled, "Anyway so yeah he… he was kind of not doing much I mean he was letting me do all the work. Oh yeah and I already told you about that one time he wanted to top... Maybe I'll let you do it some time. You seemed to know how it's done when we talked about it."

"It's not that complicated. But your ex is kind of an idiot he probably wouldn't have done it right."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

Sasuke raised a brow, as if to say, are you really asking me that?

"Right," Naruto chuckled again, "so… your turn."

"I think what happened with Gaara is… we got closer because of our passion for writing. But then I realized there was nothing else. When he fell in love with me I was like… fuck. Cause you know…"

"You didn't love him back," Naruto finished for him.

Sasuke locked eyes with him, and made a little smile, "Yeah."

Naruto took his hand and laced their fingers absent mindedly.

"So… I don't really care about that sentimental crap," he said teasingly, "You know what I wanna know…"

The raven glared at him, but answered anyway, "Sex was great, I can give him that. You're not getting anything else out of me."

"But am I bigger…?"

"Oh for Christ's sake Naruto! Why are you so obsessed with your dick?"

He burst out laughing, "I'm just curious!"

"Yes, you are, okay? Not by far though," he shrugged, "there, I've told you everything you wanna know."

"Hmm… so sex was great huh?"

"Yeah well except for that one time at the stupid party…" he sighed. Then his eyes widened as he looked up at Naruto. Fuck.

"What?"

Fuck.

"It's nothing…"

Naruto leaned closer, smiling, "It's not nothing! You're all flustered!"

"No I'm not."

"Tell me," Naruto ordered as he moved even closer. Their lips were a few inches apart.

"No."

"You know," he whispered, still smiling, "I'm not gonna let it go."

"You were there! It's your own damn fault if you don't remember," he said weakly.

Naruto took his hands and placed them on both sides of him on the wall. Then he licked his lips, and his tongue almost touched Sasuke's lips as well.

"Help me remember then. I always wanted to know what happened at that party. It's a total black out to me."

"You were drunk," Sasuke said in a low voice. Having Naruto this close was rather disturbing. "Everyone was drunk. But Gaara and I we were in his bedroom and…"

"And…?"

Sasuke looked down, his hair falling into his eyes. He couldn't stop blushing. He was so embarrassed, just thinking about that moment. And now Naruto wanted to know…

"He found the bondage kit Suigetsu gave me for Christmas…"

Naruto laughed. Of course he would. Everyone would find this funny except for Sasuke himself.

"It's not funny," he replied, "Gaara was being a complete moron that night. When we were… done… he just left me there tied up to his fucking bed and blindfolded and all and the door wasn't locked or anything."

Naruto couldn't stop laughing. He let go of his hands and instead he cupped his chin and lifted his face.

"Your face is all red. Tell me what happened. You said I was there?"

"Yeah you came inside Gaara's bedroom you idiot. And you left the door open and everyone could see me."

Naruto stopped laughing at least. He was still smiling, but he apologized, "I'm sorry…"

"You were fucking drunk I guess," Sasuke shrugged, "anyway after that you closed the door at least. But the worst part is you wouldn't help me! You just sat next to me but you didn't help me or anything…"

"It was probably turning me on," Naruto laughed again.

"It wasn't funny! It was really humiliating…"

The blond chuckled but he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, "I'm sorry…"

They shifted and lay down on the bed together, and Naruto caressed his hair tenderly.

"So what happened after that?"

"You were practically yelling at me…" he let out a sigh as he recalled those events, "telling me to admit that I was dating Gaara just to make you jealous."

Naruto's voice became serious, "Were you?"

"Of course not… Maybe."

The blond made a sad smile, "We should've gotten together earlier. Would've saved a lot of… angst."

"We're together now," Sasuke replied softly.

"Yeah," Naruto gave him a soft kiss, then pulled away, "I'm sorry I'm really curious. What else happened at the party?"

Sasuke sighed, resigned, and continued telling the story, "Gaara came back, and you guys were like, fighting or something…"

"Really?" blue eyes widened in shock, "me and Gaara?"

"Yeah… well it's not like I can tell you exactly what happened since I couldn't fucking see anything…"

"Poor baby," Naruto said, "I'm sorry. And then what happened?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Yeah sure he was sorry. Bullshit. He just wanted to know the rest of the story.

"Gaara _finally_ untied me. And I was pissed so I left. I ran into Suigetsu outside and we spent some time together, just talking." He summarized, "When I came back everyone was already asleep. You were in the guest room with your ex. Sai and his date were on the couch. Kankuro was in his bedroom with Ino."

"Oh yeah they're dating now," Naruto commented, "I saw it on facebook."

"Good for them. Anyway, Gaara wasn't sleeping though. He apologized to me and he also told me what happened while I was gone. Apparently Kiba danced with your ex. And Hinata was so drunk that she took off her shirt."

"Holy shit," Naruto laughed, "I really need to stop drinking so much so I can actually make fun of the others…"

"Yeah…" Sasuke chuckled, "I guess it was a weird night. And you know the rest. You were hangover, the usual. And you asked me out on a date."

"Hmm… yeah… and here we are."

"Yeah… and my body hurts like hell…"

"I'm sorry," Naruto quickly pulled away.

"No it's not your fault," Sasuke frowned, "I think it's better if I lie down on my back…"

Naruto helped him, and then he curled up on his side next to him. "Are you tired?"

"Yeah," Sasuke admitted.

"Go to sleep then," Naruto caressed his arm softly, "I'll stay right here."

"Okay…"

He realized he was actually really, really tired. It didn't take long before he fell asleep. Naruto's presence was really comforting.

But during the night he started having very troubling dreams. Everything was mixing up in his subconscious.

Hidan was there, and Sasuke was tied up in some sort of underground torture chamber, which reminded him of Gaara's story. This time Hidan wasn't hesitating in using his knife to cut his face. He was slicing through his skin over and over again, and Sasuke was yelling in pain but no one was coming to his rescue.

Hidan was laughing and smiling madly, and Sasuke was so fucking scared and hurt that he just wanted to pass out and die. But he was still conscious and his tormentor continued hurting him, until his face was reduced to a bloody mess. Then Hidan decided he was screaming too loud so he raised his knife, and cut his throat deeply…

He woke up with a start, his hands pressed to his throat so tightly that he felt like he was suffocating. Naruto was talking to him but he could barely hear him.

"It's okay," the blond was saying, trying to calm him down, "it's okay, you just had a nightmare, you're okay…"

He tried to take his arms but Sasuke pulled away and pressed his hands to his face. He was completely freaking out. He still wasn't realizing it had been just a dream.

Naruto finally managed to grab his arms, and he locked eyes with him.

"Sasuke listen to me, you're okay. You're fine."

He still felt like he was suffocating. Naruto let go of his arms to unzip his sweater and help him out of it – maybe to check his injuries, or maybe because he knew that Sasuke felt too warm.

Naruto was also shirtless. He pulled him in his arms and held him tight, rubbing his back soothingly and caressing his hair. Sasuke saw his tears fall down on Naruto's shoulder before realizing that he was crying.

"Shh it's over…" Naruto was saying.

Sasuke closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of Naruto's neck.

"I can't… I can't go back to sleep…" he finally managed in between racked sobs.

"It's okay," Naruto reassured him, "I'll stay awake with you. You're safe here with me, okay?"

Sasuke nodded weakly and pulled away a little. He was calmer now. He looked up into Naruto's worried blue eyes.

"You really freaked me out," he sighed as he continued caressing his messy black hair. "You looked like you were in so much pain…" he held him tighter as he said this.

"I dreamed about… him…" he whispered.

"The police caught them both," Naruto informed.

Sasuke frowned slightly, "Really?"

"Yeah," Naruto said simply, "I couldn't sleep earlier so I decided to go check the local news on the net. It turns out someone saw them and called the cops to give them their matriculation number. It was a stolen car. They're guilty of countless crimes. Of course the main crime is hurting you, and stealing money from Mister Sabaku. The one who hurt you is actually guilty of attempted murder, so he's probably gonna be in jail for life. You never have to be scared of him again… Do you want to see the news for yourself?"

"No," Sasuke shook his head, "but thanks for telling me."

Naruto gave a slight nod and kissed his forehead softly. "If you ever need to talk about it don't hesitate okay?"

Sasuke bit his lip slightly, and looked up in his eyes again. He did want to talk about it. He needed to. So he told him everything. The whole story. Everything that Hidan had said to him, and everything that he had done.

Naruto listened intently, and he continued caressing his hair in a soothing manner. When Sasuke was finished he pulled him in a hug again. He didn't say anything, he just held him like this for a few moments.

Then he pulled away and said, "If he wasn't in jail I'd go find him and kill him myself."

Sasuke made a weak smile, and buried his face in Naruto's chest. "Thanks for listening to me," he whispered, "let's not… let's never talk about it again."

"Okay…"

They ended up lying down on the bed together again, Naruto holding him. As he had promised he stayed awake as long as Sasuke was awake. When eventually the raven found sleep again, it was thankfully free of any nightmares. Naruto was the best medicine to erase his fears.

A/N: Well I did warn you about the smut. Lol.


	17. Chapter 17

There's a time skip to the summer in this chapter. I'm using the lyrics of the song Victims of love by Good charlotte because I was listening to that song a couple months ago when I needed to find a title for this story lol. So I thought I'd use it in this chapter. I know I'm lame and lack creativity. Meh.

Thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing you're adorable, really.

Chapter 17

The whole gang was there. Suigetsu and Sai were talking animatedly while drinking girly cocktails. Gaara was standing quietly next to Sasuke. Even Temari and Kankuro had made it. The latter was with his new girlfriend Ino. The rest of Naruto's friends were also there; Sakura, and the 'cute couple' as Naruto liked to call them, Hinata and Kiba.

It was Naruto's band's first gig. They had a - somewhat unofficial - name; Rise to fame. Naruto had come up with it, and Sasuke thought it sounded cool. Apparently the rest of the band did too, since they had chosen it. They were at a rather small bar, but it was still a nice enough place, and it was better than nothing considering the band had been formed barely two months ago.

When the music stopped and the owner of the place walked on stage Sasuke smiled. Naruto was gonna be performing in a few seconds now… The man announced the band and screams and cheers erupted from the small crowd. It was pretty much just the friends of the band members making noise, but Sasuke was certain the other people here would love them as well. He had personally heard them play a couple times, and they had a pretty cool sound. He hated to admit it, but Fukami was an extremely talented guitarist. And the others weren't bad at all.

As the four of them appeared on stage and started playing, the crowd went quiet to listen. The female singer, Fukami and the drummer all had a pretty cool style. Dark, tight clothes with chains, spiked belts, and all sorts of accessories like that. But the raven barely noticed. His eyes were on his boyfriend of course. And Naruto spotted him in the crowd and a smile was exchanged.

He looked beyond handsome. And pretty cool of course. He wore skinny black jeans with a buckle belt and a black tank top under an electric blue button down shirt that he left open, with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows. His new electric guitar, that Sasuke had bought him for the occasion, actually matched his outfit. His mid-length blond locks were sleek instead of their usual spiky.

Sasuke's eyes never left the sexy blond guitarist as he listened to the first two songs. The music was really good and the crowd was reacting really well to it. Sasuke couldn't help but smile as Naruto kept staring right back at him. His guitar solos were pretty hardcore and he nailed it even though he was not that experienced.

"I didn't know he was that good," Gaara told him at some point, impressed.

Sasuke only gave a slight shrug and smiled.

Things weren't awkward anymore with Gaara, and Sasuke was thankful. Of course it helped greatly that they weren't living together. With Naruto they had found a really great apartment that they could afford, and also they had bought a car. It was black, and Naruto had actually painted orange flames on it, that moron. Sasuke still wasn't used to it. But he forgave him – he could never stay mad at Naruto very long.

The last song they were performing had been written by Sasuke. That's right, he had actually picked up Naruto's challenge and written a song for him. And Naruto liked it so much that he had showed it to the rest of his band right away. It turned out they all liked it and they had decided to perform it live.

_In the beginning_

_I tried to warn you_

_You play with fire_

_It's gonna burn you_

_And here we are now_

_Same situation_

_You never listen_

_I never listen, now_

_I'm thinking of a way_

_That I can make an escape_

_It's got me caught up in a web_

_And my heart's the prey_

_Do you really wanna throw your heart_

_Away, away, away_

_Everybody's hurt somebody before_

_Everybody's been warned by somebody before_

_You can change but you'll always come back for more_

_It's a game and we're all just victims of love_

_Don't try to fight it_

_Victims of love_

_You can't decide it_

_Victims of love_

_Now you back track_

_You're running away_

'_Cause it just happened again_

_And you just want it to end_

_Trying your best not to let yourself go cold, so cold_

_Now you're thinking of the things_

_You thought you wanted to say_

_But when you open your mouth_

_They don't come out that way_

_Are you really gonna throw your heart away_

After that they repeated the chorus, and they pretty much repeated the whole thing again. When it was finished everybody cheered excitedly – not only the friends of the band this time, but everyone in the place, even the staff.

"I didn't really like it," Gaara told him, "it was too soft for me."

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief, and glanced at Gaara sideways with a little smile. Some things never changed…

After their performance the members of Rise to fame joined their friends to party for the rest of the night. The girl ordered some shots and Naruto joined her at the bar counter excitedly. Tons of people were asking them questions and they were trying to answer them all, but it wasn't easy. Naruto suddenly locked eyes with Sasuke and he smiled. He managed to push everyone in his way – politely enough, he wouldn't want to be mean to his first fans – and to reach him.

He took Sasuke in his arms and kissed him passionately.

"Didn't we decide we were gonna try to keep our relationship a secret?" Sasuke asked teasingly as they pulled away to catch their breath. Of course everyone around them was staring, but they couldn't care less.

The blond smiled, "Screw that."

They kissed again and Sasuke smiled through the kiss. That was totally okay with him. After that they went to the bar to drink some shots. Naruto also ordered some beer, and he talked and laughed with his other friends. Sasuke just stayed by his boyfriend's side, pretty much quietly, as everyone was congratulating him and admiring his talent as a guitarist. As if Naruto needed to be even more flattered, Sasuke thought, amused. But the blond, even though he often bragged teasingly, always stayed the same kind and warm person that Sasuke loved so much.

Suigetsu suddenly came to talk to him, "Hey Sasuke, what's up?"

"Nothing much. Well, the movie premiere is tomorrow…"

"Why the hell did you say nothing much for?" Suigetsu laughed, "That's pretty big. I'll definitely go see it."

Sasuke just gave a slight nod.

"So how are your injuries?" Suigetsu asked.

"Oh it's healed up now. There's still scars but it can't be helped," he shrugged.

"Thank god those assholes are in jail right?"

"Yeah…"

"So are you still modeling?"

"I'm starting again slowly, once in a while," Sasuke shrugged, "makeup can do magic, right?"

"Ah yeah I guess."

"Anyway I don't mind putting modeling on the side. I've got a lot of people offering me projects with the movie coming out. My agent's kinda overwhelmed right now. There's the book coming out in a few months too. And I'm writing a lot lately."

"So you found your inspiration again huh?" Suigetsu smiled knowingly.

Sasuke glanced at his boyfriend and made a little smile, "You could say that."

After that Suigetsu had to leave, and Sasuke was content to just stay with Naruto. The latter was drinking a little too much though. At some point the raven stole his beer, drank it completely, and put it down on the counter.

"Ugh…"

Naruto burst out laughing, "You hate beer! Why'd you do that?"

"Cause I don't want you to be hangover tomorrow. It's my movie premiere, remember?"

"Of course I remember," Naruto slid his arm around his waist and kissed him. "My first show tonight, your first movie tomorrow, pretty sweet huh?"

"Yeah," Sasuke smiled.

Naruto smiled back and led him to the small space where some people were dancing. The music was now some sort of old rock techno remix. It wasn't bad, and apparently Naruto felt like dancing to it. Kiba and Hinata joined them on this little improvised dance floor, as well as Fukami and Sai.

But Sasuke barely noticed them. He was checking Naruto out as they started dancing, each on their own at first. But that changed pretty soon as they moved closer to each other. Sasuke couldn't resist running his fingers through Naruto's soft and unnaturally sleek blond hair.

"You know, you look kinda cute like this."

Naruto laughed and flipped his bangs aside. "I hate it it's so annoying."

Sasuke smiled and moved his hands to the back of his neck. Naruto placed his arms around his waist to pull him even closer. They rolled their hips together, and Sasuke tilted his head back. This felt so good, just dancing together like that, without thinking about anything else in the world.

At some point he glanced around, and he noticed Fukami and Sai were staring. He smiled as he looked back at Naruto.

"I think some people are jealous."

Naruto looked at the two guys then back at Sasuke, "Feel like making them even more jealous?"

The raven parted his lips as he nodded. Naruto didn't lose any time and he crashed their lips together. Their hands were all over each other, and their bodies were flushed together. Nothing else existed, it was just the two of them. It was just Naruto's body, his hands crawling under his shirt, his soft, full lips ravaging his…

When they broke the kiss, breathless, they locked eyes. Naruto's blue orbs were half-lidded and full of lust.

"Feel like getting out of here?" Sasuke asked in a low, husky voice.

"Yeah…"

Naruto smirked and put his arm around his shoulders as they walked out of the bar together. Their stupid looking car was parked right across the street. Sasuke unlocked it and took place behind the wheel, while Naruto sat in the passenger seat.

"Drinking and driving huh?" Naruto teased him.

He rolled his eyes, "Oh please, all I had was the rest of your beer…"

He started the car, shifted and drove down the street. Naruto had been really frustrated with their manual transmission car at first, because he found it difficult to drive, whereas Sasuke had gotten the hang of it pretty quickly.

"You look hot when you're driving," Naruto smiled as he stared at his profile.

Sasuke returned his smile briefly.

"I can't wait to be home," Naruto said fervently.

The raven didn't reply at first, but then he had an idea. As they waited at a red light he turned to look at his boyfriend.

"Will you let me top?"

Blue eyes widened slightly in surprise. Sasuke could understand him; this request was kind of random. During all the time that they had been together, Naruto had always topped, and of course Sasuke had more than enjoyed it. But he had never forgotten their conversation that night in Naruto's dorm room, when the blond had told him that he wouldn't mind letting him top. And sometimes Sasuke fantasized about it…

"Yeah okay," Naruto finally replied with a little smile. He looked eager, excited and nervous at the same time.

"I won't hurt you Naruto, I promise," he reassured him, "don't be nervous."

"I'm not," he said a little bit too quickly, and Sasuke smiled at him almost fondly.

When he was parked in front of their apartment building, he got out of the car and locked the door. When he turned around Naruto surprised him by pushing him against the car door and kissing him roughly. He slid his arm around his waist and pulled him close while kissing him more and more aggressively.

"Hmm…" Sasuke moaned and pulled away, "you couldn't wait to get inside?"

"No," Naruto smiled and kissed him again.

After this heated making out session outside they made their way to their apartment. It was rather small with a room combining kitchen and living room, a bathroom and a bedroom – but it was all they needed. It was beautiful and clean – that last part was thanks to Sasuke, needless to say.

But admiring their apartment was the last thing on Sasuke's mind at the moment. As soon as they stepped inside Naruto closed the door loudly and pushed the raven against it. He pressed his thigh in between his legs and grinded against him as he kissed his neck. Then he pulled away and helped Sasuke out of his shirt.

Sasuke decided to try to be a little more dominating for once, since he was going to top. He was already hard and trembling in desire at the idea. So he forced Naruto to pull away from him, and he practically ripped his shirt off in his haste to get rid of it. Then just as quickly he helped him take off his tank top, before pressing their naked chests together, wrapping his arms around Naruto and kissing him fiercely.

When he pulled away Naruto smiled. He looked a little surprised. "What's gotten into you?"

Sasuke bit Naruto's lip teasingly and smirked, "I don't know but I wanna be inside you…"

"Only if I can be inside you after…" Naruto teased back as he squeezed his ass.

"…Deal."

They kissed passionately and made a mess out of the apartment while making their way to their bedroom. But for once Sasuke didn't care about the mess. This moment was really intense, and nothing could ruin it.

He pushed Naruto on the bed and climbed on top of him. He skillfully undid his belt and took off his pants and boxers at the same time. Naruto still had that surprised smile on his lips. The roles were reversed.

After kissing his lips and his neck Sasuke worked his way to his nipples. He kissed and licked both as Naruto's breathing picked up. He was running his fingers through Sasuke's hair, and on his smooth backside. Sasuke then looked up at him and smiled, and Naruto pulled him close to kiss his lips.

"Why am I the only one naked?" he whispered when they pulled away.

Sasuke got up and made a little show of taking off the rest of his clothes. Naruto smiled.

"Come here you," he reached out to take his arms and bring him closer.

After they kissed once more Sasuke said, "Turn around."

There was still this mix of excitement and stress in Naruto's beautiful blue eyes. Sasuke kissed him, very softly this time, to try to reassure him. The blond did as he was told and turned around. Sasuke reached for the drawer and took out the lube. He applied some generously on his fingers.

He kissed Naruto's back relentlessly while he slowly entered one finger inside of him.

"Tell me how it feels…" he whispered as he kissed his shoulder.

"Cold," Naruto chuckled.

"Hmm yeah sorry about that… but does it hurt?"

"No…"

Sasuke entered a second finger. Naruto still wasn't showing any sign of pain. He turned his head slightly and Sasuke took the hint and kissed his lips. Then he kissed his cheek, his jaw, and ear. Naruto was breathing loud and he seemed excited. Sasuke smiled. He didn't stop kissing his neck, hoping it would distract him when he entered a third finger…

But Naruto hissed in pain.

"Sorry," Sasuke said.

"No it's… it's not that bad," the blond reassured him.

Sasuke continued stretching him for a few moments, and then he removed his fingers.

"…Feels kinda empty now," Naruto admitted.

"Not for long," Sasuke whispered in his ear, and Naruto's body trembled slightly.

He applied a lot of lube on his cock; he really didn't want to hurt him, or as least as possible he supposed.

"You ready?" he asked as he positioned himself.

"Um… yeah… I think so… just go slow…"

"Yeah," Sasuke whispered and kissed his ear softly.

He went very, very slowly. Still, it hurt Naruto, but it couldn't be helped.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked worriedly when he was deep inside of him.

"Yeah," the blond reassured him, "it's not that bad," he said again.

But Sasuke wanted it to be more than just not that bad. He wanted Naruto to enjoy it. So he placed his hands at his hips and started moving inside of him, searching for that one spot that would give Naruto so much pleasure that it would erase the pain.

And soon after he knew that he had found it because Naruto gasped slightly.

"That felt…"

Before he could finish his sentence Sasuke gripped his hips tightly and started moving faster inside of him. Naruto moaned in pleasure.

"…so good," he said.

The raven smiled and bent over to slid one arm around Naruto's waist. He kissed the back of his neck as he thrusted harder and faster. At some point the blond reached with his hand to touch the back of his thigh and encourage his movements.

"Ah fuck… Sasuke… don't stop…"

He slowed down a little because otherwise he wasn't sure he could hold back much longer. Then he pulled away to grab his hips again, and he slowly increased the pace once more. He couldn't repress moans of pure pleasure himself; being inside of Naruto felt simply amazing. Naruto kept telling him not to stop.

A few moments later they reached climax together, and after one last thrust Sasuke moved away from Naruto and collapsed next to him on the bed.

"That was," he breathed, "amazing…"

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, and turned his head to look at him, "so intense… Kinda hurt at first but damn... We should do it more often."

Sasuke smiled, "I'm so glad you liked it."

"Yeah... but now," Naruto said slowly while caressing his arm, "it's my turn…"

Sasuke looked up at him, still smiling, "Yeah?"

"Hmm… yeah…"

Naruto was very soft and tender at first. He caressed his hair, and leaned closer to kiss his lips softly. Then he trailed very light kisses along his neck, making Sasuke shiver slightly. The blond simultaneously trailed his fingers lightly along his sides. Sasuke instinctively pushed Naruto's hands away.

"Did I ever tell you I find it really cute that you're ticklish?"

"Pretty much every time we have sex," Sasuke teased, "which is what, nine, ten times a week?"

"At least twelve," Naruto corrected, making him chuckle.

But then he tickled his sensitive skin again with his fingers and Sasuke tried to grab his wrists to stop him. Naruto struggled playfully and ended up taking his hands and placing them on both sides of him in the messy bed, entangling their fingers and squeezing gently.

Then he placed soft kisses on his chest and stomach, everywhere he had tiny white scars. He often did this, and Sasuke knew that he wanted to show him, in a way, that he found him beautiful even though he had scars on his body. Sasuke was already getting hard again – and so was Naruto.

The latter pulled away, only to loom over him and give him a passionate kiss. Sasuke freed his hands from his grasp and wrapped them around Naruto's neck to deepen the kiss. That was when Naruto became more aggressive. He bit his lip and then he moved to his neck, where he kissed him very roughly, definitely leaving some marks. But Sasuke loved it, and he was breathing loud and moaning while running his hands all over Naruto's body.

The blond moved back and suddenly grabbed his legs, placing them over his shoulders. Without any warning he entered him and Sasuke couldn't repress a scream. But he liked it, he liked it so much and Naruto knew it. They exchanged a smile and Naruto went as fast as he could.

"Fuck… Naruto! Holy shit…" he couldn't stop moaning and encouraging Naruto.

The blond loved it anyway, and he smirked as he tightened his grip on his legs. This went on for a while, and they were both enjoying it but then in a silent agreement they switched positions. They often did this when they felt themselves getting closer to release. It cooled things off before picking up again.

So Naruto lay down on his back and Sasuke moved on top of him, only to start riding him. He couldn't repress a moan as he lowered himself, taking Naruto's length deep inside of him. Naruto fisted the sheets and Sasuke, noticing this, took his hands.

"I love you," the blond said as he locked eyes with him.

Sasuke leaned closer to kiss his lips, "I love you," he said back.

They came for the second time that night and then they rolled on the bed while holding each other fiercely.

Naruto caressed his hair and gave him one more kiss.

"I love you," he repeated.

Sasuke chuckled, "Are you afraid I'll forget?"

"I just love saying it," he smiled, "you were amazing tonight."

"Hmm… so were you."

After a moment of silence Naruto asked, "How do you think the press will react to me being your date at the premiere?"

Sasuke gave a slight shrug, and caressed Naruto's arm, "I don't care. Well, at least after that they'll stop asking me what type of girl I prefer in interviews…"

The blond laughed, "What did you answer to that?"

"Hmm… well I do have a thing for blondes with blue eyes."

"Uh-huh…"

"And tan skin… and a beautiful smile…"

"And?" Naruto smiled.

"Spontaneous, crazy, kind of an idiot sometimes but that's okay…"

"Oh yeah I'm sure you were saying that in your interviews," Naruto rolled his eyes.

Sasuke laughed softly; of course he was making all of this up.

"And funny, talented, musician's a plus… oh yeah and a huge dick."

The blond burst out laughing, and pulled him close in his arms. Sasuke laughed softly.

"You know something Sasuke? I don't think I ever told you but there's one thing I've noticed about you."

"Hmm… what is it?"

"Everyone thinks you're boring, and like… not funny at all."

"I feel better about myself now, thanks."

Naruto laughed and said, "You didn't let me finish! Everyone thinks that but they're so fucking wrong! They don't even know you. And I feel so privileged because I'm the only one who really knows you. And you're anything _but_ boring. You're funny, I love your sense of humor, even if sometimes it's sort of cynical and dark humor, I don't care, I love it."

The raven pressed himself closer and Naruto kissed his hair.

"I really love everything about you," Naruto added.

"Hmm good thing you told me," he whispered with a little amused smile, "I was about to forget I mean it's been like, five whole minutes since the last time you told me…"

"See?" Naruto chuckled as he caressed his back softly, "I told you you were funny."

"Yeah… screw modeling. I'm gonna do stand up comic."

"Okay you can stop being funny now," he chuckled again and kissed his hair.

"Okay."

"Sasuke?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

"…You can stop saying it now."

"Okay."

…

Shisaki had arranged a limousine to drive Sasuke and his boyfriend to the premiere. The driver arrived early and Naruto was freaking out because he wasn't ready. He was wearing a simple but stylish and slim black suit, and he wasn't able to tie his tie properly – as always.

Sasuke put his hands on his shoulders. "Stop freaking out. Just let me do it."

Naruto calmed down a little at least, and he let Sasuke do the tie knot. He kept distracting him by kissing him though.

"The driver's waiting Naruto," the raven said.

Naruto kissed him again.

"Look I'm never gonna be able to do it if you keep kissing me."

"But I like kissing you," the blond said teasingly.

Sasuke finally managed to finish, and then they made their way outside where the black limo was waiting for them. Naruto was extremely enthusiastic.

"It's my first time being in a limo," he exclaimed, "seriously, this is so cool."

Sasuke smiled as he sat next to him. The driver didn't lose any time; they were running a little late.

Naruto checked him out and smiled back, "You look really good. I love that suit."

It was another gift from a designer he had modeled for. It was a very dark shade of grey, with a dark blue shirt underneath. He wasn't wearing any tie, but it looked good that way. It was very fit, flattering his thin figure.

They were both a little nervous as to how the press and the fans would react, but at the same time they didn't really care. If they weren't happy with their relationship they could just all go fuck themselves, Sasuke thought.

As expected, when they arrived and stepped on the red carpet, they were harassed by photographs and journalists asking questions. Thankfully there were bodyguards hired to protect the movie stars from the too intense journalists. Two of them came to place themselves around the couple.

All the questions unsurprisingly revolved around Naruto being there with him. The photographs were restless.

Sasuke was a bit overwhelmed. He looked in front of them on the red carpet and he spotted some of his co-stars as well as the director of Moonless Night, so he decided to join them. He kept Naruto's hand firmly in his, and they walked together. Some of the journalists followed but the bodyguards were keeping them at a safe distance.

Thankfully after that Aruki made her appearance with her handsome date – Sasuke was glad to see that it wasn't the guy from that bar in Kyoto – and the journalists were immediately disinterested in him. Of course in an instant they were all over the famous young actress.

"They're fucking crazy," Naruto whispered in his ear.

"I know."

They slowly made their way to the entrance of the building while Sasuke had no choice but to answer to a few more questions, and sign at least some autographs. Naruto stayed by his side the whole time and the photographs continued taking pictures of them.

They both let out a relieved sigh once they were inside. They went to take their seats in the theatre, next to some of Sasuke's co-stars. They politely greeted him and introduced their date, and Sasuke did the same. After this polite little chat Sasuke turned to look at Naruto.

"I hope this is not too boring for you…"

"No," he smiled and took his hand, "I'm so glad to be here with you. Now the world knows you're mine," he added half-teasingly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and he was about to call him an idiot fondly like he always did, but Naruto probably anticipated it because he silenced him with a kiss. Some people stared but they really couldn't care less.

When the movie started the whole room went respectfully quiet. Sasuke found it extremely weird to see himself and hear himself. It was simply too strange. He felt like he looked absolutely ridiculous.

Halfway through the movie he leaned closer to Naruto and pressed his face against his shoulder.

"I can't watch anymore," he whispered.

The blond chuckled and caressed his hair, "Why? You're really good. I'm like… really proud of you," he whispered. Sasuke looked up at him slowly. He sounded sincere.

There was a gun shot in the movie and Naruto turned his attention back on the screen. Resigned, Sasuke continued watching. He tried to concentrate on the other actors' performance.

At some point in the movie Sasuke's character got shot, and Naruto teased him about it.

"No! I don't want you to die," he exclaimed in a low voice, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

Other than random little comments like that Naruto pretty much stayed silent and enjoyed the movie. Of course though he had to comment on the kissing scene.

"That's weird," he chuckled.

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed.

"Was it your first time kissing a girl?"

"Uh-huh," he admitted.

"How was it?"

"I don't know. I just… didn't feel anything."

Naruto smiled, "Not like when you kiss me…"

"Indeed."

"You know, we've never made out at the cinema… We should. We'd feel like teenagers again."

"I'm not sure I'm supposed to make out with my date during my movie premiere," he chuckled.

"Who cares?"

Naruto kissed him and as always Sasuke couldn't possibly resist him. So he ended up making out during his movie premiere after all.

After the movie they were practically dragged by force to the after party. Apparently a lot of people shared Naruto's opinion on Sasuke's performance in Moonless Night, because they were all over him, offering him new projects and contracts or simply congratulating him on his brilliant start as an actor.

Naruto didn't seem to mind going to the after party, actually he seemed to enjoy himself. He talked to a bunch of people and made new friends apparently, as always. But every five seconds or so he glanced longingly in Sasuke's direction and it made the latter smile inwardly. Naruto also enjoyed the free wine and food.

The raven got tired of all this attention really quickly though. He went to see Naruto – who was standing next to the buffet – and took his hand.

"Do you want to sneak out with me? These people are driving me crazy…"

After eating one last sushi Naruto nodded and quickly led him outside.

"So where's our limo?"

"It was just to get to the premiere," Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's disappointed face.

He took out his cell to call a cab as they walked a little further from the room where the after party was held. Sasuke didn't want to get dragged back inside by another one of those too enthusiastic young directors telling him that they absolutely needed him in their movie.

"So you were pretty popular back there huh?" Naruto nudged him in the ribs playfully as they waited for their taxi to arrive.

"I just gave all of them Shisaki's phone number to get rid of them," he chuckled.

"Poor Shisaki."

"Nah he's gonna be ecstatic. I think he loves his work a little bit too much. But that's what makes him a good agent," he shrugged.

He went to lean against the wall of the nearest building and put his hands in his pockets. Naruto came to stand in front of him.

"I always thought he seemed to love you a bit too much."

"Nope," Sasuke shook his head, "he's really open minded but he's not gay. He's got a girlfriend right now actually and I think it's getting pretty serious."

"Oh, that's cool," Naruto smiled. He seemed reassured.

Sasuke put his hand behind his neck and pulled him into a kiss. "Hey don't worry. No one's gonna steal me from you."

"I wouldn't let them," he whispered before kissing him again.

After that their taxi arrived and except for some little talk and anecdotes about the after party they were pretty much silent.

A few hours later that night, they were lying down on their bed, relaxed and a bit worn out from… previous activities. Naruto was on his back and Sasuke was lying down on his side next to him, with his arm lazily thrown around the other's waist.

"I feel like a cigarette right now," he said randomly just to annoy Naruto.

And it worked, "Hey don't say the forbidden word."

Sasuke chuckled; of course, he had quit smoking a while ago, when he had gotten together with Naruto. As promised the blond had forced him to quit again. Not that Sasuke couldn't have done it by himself if he'd really wanted to…

"Hey Sasuke?" Naruto asked, interrupting his train of thought.

"Yeah?"

"Are you really gonna continue acting?"

"I don't know," he said honestly, "maybe if some of the projects really interest me…"

Naruto caressed his arm, and turned his head to look at him, "I want you to know that, whatever you decide, whatever you do, I'll support you in your choices. I mean if you want to continue modeling, or acting, or if you want to just concentrate on writing novels or even manga, it's totally cool."

Sasuke smiled and locked eyes with him, "Same here I mean, if you continue school, or if you decide to be a professional musician, or if you do both, whatever, I'll always support your decisions too."

As long as they were together, Sasuke thought, and he knew that Naruto felt the same way.

He moved closer and Naruto wrapped his arms around him. Sasuke stayed like this, feeling safe and warm in his lover's arms.

A/N:

So fucking cheesy! Lol. Okay. I wanna apologize if some of you disliked the part where Sasuke topped. But I think it's great, cause Naruto wanted his first time with a guy to be with Sasuke. So I guess he got his wish granted, in a way. Right? Right. Lol. So I think it's best if I leave it at that. More chapters would just be unnecessary and boring. I'm really sorry this story's been so rushed, and random and awkward at times. I really am sorry. I guess I wrote it way too fast and then I decided to upload it anyway. Felt like giving it a shot. If I continue writing on this website I'll try to be a better writer and create better stories than this. Thank you all so much.


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